Missing In Action
by CWBasset
Summary: When a mission goes wrong, Luke Skywalker crashes on an uninhabited planet. While waiting for rescue, he makes an unexpected discovery.
1. Chapter 1

**Description:** When a mission goes wrong, Luke Skywalker crashes on an uninhabited planet. While waiting for rescue, he makes an unexpected discovery.

A/N #1: I do not own Star Wars, but I do so enjoy playing in the Galaxy.

A/N #2: Thank you so much to my beta reader. Her help is immeasurable.

Rating: K+

Setting: Less than a year after ANH

Genre: Adventure/Drama

Primary Characters: Luke/Vader

Secondary Characters: R2D2

**Missing In Action**

By CWBasset

Chapter 1

It had been a very bad day. Or maybe it the morning after a very bad day, Commander Luke Skywalker wasn't sure. With fuzzy comprehension, he slowly realized that he had been knocked unconscious for quite some time. His head throbbed, his gut roiled, and his body protested every movement. He gently removed his battered flight helmet and rubbed his face tentatively. After allowing himself a moment more to recover, he began to work on assessing his situation. He blinked repeatedly as he looked around trying to focus on the scene surrounding him.

He still sat in the open cockpit of his X-Wing fighter. Somehow they had managed to land in one piece on this sith-forsaken planet, and it was no doubt due entirely to the efforts of his astromech droid, R2D2. He had obviously been in no position to do so. Looking around, he surmised their landing had been rather abrupt, but at least not lethal. The debris of broken trees scattered around them indicated a rather erratic trajectory. The angle in which his ship lay confirmed that there had not been time to complete a normal landing cycle. At least the distant ominous column of black smoke rising high into the atmosphere was a good indication that they had met their targeted objective.

He gingerly leaned back into the padded seat and tightly closed his eyes trying to recall recent events. It was supposed to have been an easy mission, just take out the Empire's new top-secret communications station on an underdeveloped planet. Although the Alliance had vague details regarding the new technology employed at the station, the intelligence was clear that the accompanying defense systems were only to be automated. It ought to have been quick work for his Rogue Squadron, and that assumption alone should have given him a bad feeling about the operation.

The first indication of something amiss was the defense shield itself. It was a bizarre type of diffusion field that caused catastrophic magnetic disruptions. They were unable to use their long range proton missiles as planned since the shield made their guidance systems inoperable. Whatever had been the true purpose for the complex, it had evidently been far more important to the Empire than just simple communications.

Even when the squadron of TIE fighters erupted from the compound to join the foray it had not been too disconcerting. The Rogues were used to being outnumbered; it just meant they had to employ a bit more creativity to their attack. Only with the appearance of the TIE Advanced did the final cloak of deception fall away. Darth Vader had been waiting for them. This had been a well orchestrated Imperial trap, and they had blindly flown right into it.

That sickening realization had only strengthened Luke's resolve to complete the mission, even if it meant that it would be his last. Over the past months, it had become increasingly apparent that the Empire's second-in-command had taken a special interest in the rebel who destroyed the Death Star. Luke somehow knew that he alone was Vader's target; his comrades could probably escape.

After some protest, his second had conceded to his orders and led the rest of his squadron in the hyperspace jump back to the rebel base. Luke stayed to make one last run at the station. He remembered the odd feeling of still having a wingman as several TIE's disintegrated around him on his final approach, but he had been too centered on his objective to give much notice.

As his mentor, Ben Kenobi, had once taught him, he opened his mind and let the Force guide his actions. He felt the ship's vibration as it broke through the magnetic shield. He was vaguely aware when his thumb pressed the trigger to release a rapid succession of blasts from his laser cannons. Then blackness overcame him, until now.

His musings were disturbed by a blast of noise behind him. He listened for a moment at the nervous twittering and electronic whistles of his astromech droid embedded in his fighter.

"I'm alright Artoo," he calmed the droid. His voice was still rather shaky from disuse. "Can you get me a readout on our position?"

Luke looked down at the darkened display on the fighter's console. He waited in silence, hoping that it would soon flicker to life. He was disappointed. With a new burst of rapid chirps and beeps from the astromech, the rebel pilot realized his worst fears, the electrical systems of the fighter had been fried; the ship was completely dead. At least the insulation that protected the small droid had kept him from being in the same condition. He grimaced at the thought of what he would to do if he ever lost Artoo.

"Well," Luke continued as he began extricating himself from the cockpit. "I guess we'll just have to look around for ourselves."

It took very little time to assemble the needed survival equipment from his incapacitated fighter. Everything went into the cumbersome backpack, but it was a tight fit. He certainly wasn't looking forward to trudging around the forest with it. It took much longer to pull Artoo from his snug compartment, but he managed. Despite the throbbing in his head, as well as the protesting muscles of his neck and back, it appeared that the young rebel had come out of his predicament with only a collection of bumps and bruises to show for it. His friend Han Solo would have told him that he was lucky. Luke was no longer sure his continued survival was just due to chance.

If there was any bright spot to his situation, it was the fact that the mission itself had not been that far from the current location of the main rebel base. Luke was sure that when the rest of the squadron made it back to the Alliance, his friends, Han, Leia, and Chewbacca would jump into the Millennium Falcon and race back here to rescue him. That was, of course, counting on the fact that the Falcon was in working order. Luke well knew that this was never a reliable condition. If all went well, he figured he would only be stranded here a few days.

Taking one more look at his surroundings, he noted that the sun was still on the incline, but threatening storm clouds had begun to fill the sky. Although the climate of the planet appeared to be temperate, the surrounding trees would provide little shelter from the elements. He also knew that the bright orange flight suit that he wore would not give him much protection from either enemy imps or any natural predators that may be lurking about. It was best to be on the move.

"We need to find shelter." Luke stated to his mechanized companion. "Can you scan for any structures close by?"

The little cylindrical droid slid a compartment open on its dome and raised a small antenna array. After a few moments, he emitted an excited burst of whistles. Though the young man could not understand the droid's binary language, it was obvious that he had found something.

"Lead the way," Luke lightheartedly ordered. He picked up the heavy survival pack and swung it onto his protesting shoulders as he fell into step behind the trudging little droid.

"Off on another adventure," he muttered softly.

They traveled for several hours in relative silence. Only the rhythmic chirpings from the little droid accented the sound of their passage. They had little difficulty traversing through the sparse underbrush of the forest in which they found themselves. However, the farther they went; a rising level of apprehension grew within the young man.

For as long as he could remember, Luke had been sensitive to feelings, or as he referred to them, hunches. Only after meeting the former Jedi Knight Ben Kenobi, did he realize that those feelings were coming from the Force. He understood so little about what the Force really was, and with his mentor's untimely death nearly a year ago, it appeared that he would not learn much more. But Ben had told him to let the Force guide him, and right now, it was definitely pulling him to an area off to the left of their current path.

Luke stopped and turned toward the calling direction. He could feel both the desire to investigate as well as trepidation about doing so. As if in response to his dilemma, R2D2 turned back and came to a halt in front of the rebel as if to block him. He whistled a pensive warning.

"It's okay, Artoo," Luke assured. "I just need to see what's over there." Luke began to move forward, but the little droid rolled farther into his path. He looked down in consternation at the droid wondering at his seeming protective behavior. Unable to deny the pull he was feeling, Luke placed a reassuring hand on the top of the droid's domed head as he moved around him to continue forward. He heard Artoo give a long mournful tone as the droid spun itself around and dutifully followed his foolish master.

It didn't take long to begin to smell the odors of hot metal, burning wires, and charred wood. Luke recognized the scorched area and the scattered debris he passed as another crash site. The pair soon reached the smoldering broken remains of what appeared to be a TIE fighter.

The craft had landed hard, digging deep into the soft mossy ground on impact. A large tree had fallen over the top hatch of the fighter essentially trapping the unfortunate pilot within. Luke unconsciously felt his right leg for both his holstered blaster as well as the cylindrical shaft of his father's lightsaber that dangled from his utility belt. He cautiously moved forward. The rebel slowed his pace and carefully stepped around damaged hull to the front viewport.

"Kriff!" Luke yelped in surprise.

Luke stumbled back a few steps as he immediately recognized the hulking black figure draped motionless over the controls within the craft. He grabbed his blaster and held it forward with a shaky hand at the sight of his greatest enemy. The young man stood frozen in shock for a moment; only Artoo's frantic whistles broke the natural sounds of their surroundings.

As his initial fright began to dissipate, Luke remembered to start breathing again. He pulled his eyes away from the paralyzing sight of the Emperor's henchman down to his own weapon quivering violently in front of him. He concentrated first on calming his nerves and stilling his trembling pale hand. That mental exercise gave his brain enough time to begin to function at higher levels again.

He looked back into the cockpit of the enemy fighter. Darth Vader's inert form had still not moved. Luke uneasily replaced his blaster into its holster and stepped forward to the craft. He placed his hand on the transpasteel viewport and peered intently inside.

Making a decision he was sure he would regret, he reached for his lightsaber and ignited it. He cautiously began tracing the edge of the viewport. Luke was relatively surprised as to the lack of resistance; the lightsaber cut through the transpasteel like butter. When the circle was complete; Luke stepped back. The heavy covering fell forward and landed on the mossy ground with a muffled thump.

The smell of hot ozone from inside the fighter was overpowering. The only sound emanating from within was the rhythmic rasps of the Dark Lord's respirator. There was still no movement.

Luke boldly held his ignited lightsaber forward. "In the name of the Alliance to Restore the Republic you are under arrest." He proclaimed defiantly.

He had to admit that the moment was rather anticlimactic. Between the nervous cracking of his own voice, the lack of response from his now declared prisoner, and the exasperated squawks coming from his mechanical companion, it all seemed somewhat lacking. At least his irritated glance at Artoo had managed to silence the droid's commentary.

Luke extinguished his lightsaber and re-attached the hilt to his belt. He cautiously stepped forward for a closer examination. He was still uncertain if Vader was alive or dead, but something told him the life-support suite he wore would not be functioning unless it was needed. Either way, Luke knew he had to get him out of there.

It took great effort to extricate the Dark Lord's massive frame from the small cockpit compartment; Darth Vader was far heavier then Luke had thought possible. The black clad menace of a man now lay prone in front of the broken fighter. Luke had already completed a cursory check for injuries, his examination hampered by the Dark Lord's thick leather and heavy armor. Luke had found nothing obvious, but was surprised to discover that all of the Sith's appendages were prosthetics. Old Ben had told him once that Vader was more machine then man, but it was still unsettling to find out how true that description had been. Luke had originally contemplated removing Vader's mask; but after making his other discoveries, he decided that the Dark Lord probably needed it for more than just intimidation.

A low rumble of thunder caused a new concern to cross the rebel's mind. The clouds were thickening; rain would be threatening very soon. The wind was picking up as well, making the surrounding trees sway ominously. They needed to get to shelter.

It was pretty apparent that his captive would not be traveling under his own power any time soon. Luke pensively looked around the forested area for a solution to his dilemma. It didn't take him long to come up with one.


	2. Chapter 2

**Description:** When a mission goes wrong, Luke Skywalker crashes on an uninhabited planet. While waiting for rescue, he makes an unexpected discovery.

A/N #1: I do not own Star Wars, but I do so enjoy playing in the Galaxy.

A/N #2: Thank you so much to my beta reader. Her help is immeasurable.

A/N #3: Thanks to everyone for all the many reviews and encouragement. To say I am overwhelmed is an understatement. Writing this story has been a great diversion from the 50 to 60 hour work weeks I have been dealing with for the last several months. Sleep is overrated anyway. I hope that you will find the next chapter as entertaining as the  
last.

Chapter 2

Luke felt the first droplets of rain strike his sweat-soaked hair as they reached the mouth of what appeared to be a small cave. It was the destination to which Artoo had been guiding them. He had to give the little droid credit for coming up with such a suitable shelter. The cave opening was just a few meters above them on the side of a gently ascending ridge. The only problem was the row of unaligned jagged boulders that in effect made a defensive wall in front of it. The boulders themselves were not the issue; getting past them with his hulking cargo was.

The wind swirled around him as Luke gently set down the end of the stretcher that he had been dragging. He had crafted it from fallen tree limbs tied together with heavy vines. It worked, but it had taken a lot of energy to both build it as well as to drag it here. Luke moved back to check his unconscious prisoner that lay on the stretcher. There had been no change in Vader's condition, other than the fact that he had been divested of his lightsaber and his hands were now bound with the same heavy vine that Luke had used to construct the stretcher.

An angry growl of thunder rumbled across the sky. As if on cue, the rain began to fall harder. Dead leaves and twigs whipped up by the growing intensity of the wind began to buffet them. He could delay no longer.

Luke reached down and grabbed the Dark Lord by one of his massive upper arms. He used all of his remaining strength to pull the inert cumbersome form of the man up in an attempt to heft him over his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Vader's baritone voice came groggily from his enunciator.

The shock of hearing the Sith caused Luke to let go and jump back as if the man had combusted into flame. Vader dropped heavily back down to the ground. A groan followed by an indistinct garbled hiss came from the Dark Lord when he landed. Luke could only assume the hiss had been a string of curses, he thought it sounded like Huttese. It took several moments of both men staring at each other in stunned silence before the rebel found his voice.

"S-Sorry," Luke stammered. "I was trying to get you up to the shelter." Still wary to take his eyes off his adversary, Luke nodded in the direction of the cave.

With some effort, the Dark Lord shifted to turn his helmet in the direction that Luke had indicated. After what appeared to be his comprehension, he slowly turned back to the blond haired youth.

"Are you in pain?" Luke questioned tentatively.

"Constantly," Vader growled.

"Are you injured?" Luke asked again.

"That is none of your concern." The Sith rumbled dangerously.

Luke brushed away the mix of rain and sweat that was now dripping down into his eyes and tried a different approach. "Can you walk?"

Vader dropped his helmet ever so slightly. He appeared to be conducting an assessment of his condition. He finally moved his head to capture the young man's face in his gaze.

"No."

Luke leaned heavily against the closest boulder in frustration. He crossed his arms as his shoulders slumped in defeat. "Then I'm not sure how I can get you up there." He muttered quietly.

There was a heavy lapse into silence between both men. The only sound above the pattering rain was Vader's forced even breathing. Even Artoo sat quietly next to the boulders. His domed head swiveling side to side as his photo receptor turned between them.

"Why did you not employ the Force to help you?" Vader's question broke the stillness.

"You can do that?" The awe in the young man's voice was apparent. It seemed to bewilder the Dark Lord.

"Of course," Vader answered. There was a hint of annoyance detectable in his response despite his mechanical tone. Again, Vader shifted. In doing so, it appeared that he finally discovered his bound hands. He dropped his head sharply to get a better view of his bindings through the tinted lenses of his mask.

Luke could feel a thickening of the air around him. A weighty darkness seemed to be gathering around the man lying on the ground. Luke stepped back in concern and unconsciously reached his hand toward his blaster. At his young master's apparent apprehension, R2D2 immediately sprang to life. He quickly rolled forward to place himself defiantly between the two men. The little droid spouted a long string of agitated beeps and whistles in the direction of the Vader, his actions apparently catching the Dark Lord's attention.

The Sith's helmet cocked slightly to one side as if listening to the astromech's tirade. Luke was a taken aback. He didn't believe it possible for anyone to comprehend the droid's binary language, other than another droid of course. But somehow, he got the distinct impression that Vader understood every click and beep.

Whatever Artoo had told Vader, it appeared to have calm the Sith down. The Dark Lord looked again between his bound hands, the little droid, and the young blond haired man. Luke then heard a strange discharge from the Vader's enunciator. He interpreted it as a poor replication of an exasperated sigh. The three remained stationary as rain continued to rise in intensity.

"It appears, young one, that you have caught yourself a Sith Lord," Vader finally intoned softly. There seemed to be a hint of amusement present in his deep mechanical baritone. "It would be wise to get both yourself as well as your trophy to a dryer location."

Vader dropped his gaze back down to the astromech. He nodded slightly as if in deference to the little droid. Whatever communication passed between the two, Artoo seemed to have been appeased by the Dark Lord's change in manner. He gave a few additional sharp beeps and then backed himself to his prior position next to the boulders.

"I don't think I can carry you." Luke confessed.

"That will not be necessary," Vader assured. "But I will require your assistance."

Luke took a few steps forward and then hesitated. The thought of the Dark Lord's thickly muscled biceps came to mind. Whatever condition Vader was in, it wouldn't take much effort for him to easily overpower the slighter man. Just by his sheer size alone.

Vader seemed to recognize Luke's concern immediately. "I will not attempt to escape you," He calmed the young man. "You have my word."

The rebel was unsure how much he should trust the word of a Sith Lord. But again, something was telling him that a promise from Darth Vader would be kept. He continued forward and bent down to the injured man. Slipping his head under Vader's arm, Luke strained his protesting muscles to the limit to help hulking man to his feet.

Despite Vader's attempt to conceal his condition, it was obvious to Luke that he had been injured in the crash, and injured badly. He wasn't sure how they managed it, but Luke finally got the giant of a man into the cave. He was sure that Vader had been employing some aspect of the Force to help maneuver their way. The Dark Lord had certainly seemed considerably lighter than he had been while unconscious, but with Luke's limited understanding, he couldn't fathom how Vader had done it.

Even through the armor and heavy padding, Luke could feel Vader begin to tremble with either pain or exhaustion as he guided him to the back corner of the cave. He eased the man down as gently as he could manage. Luke was unsure of whether the Sith was unwilling to offer his thanks to a rebel or if he was just too overwhelmed with his own pain to speak, but it seemed that all he was capable of doing at the moment was to again offer a slight bow of his masked helm. Luke left him propped up against the rough stone walls as he exited the cave to retrieve the makeshift stretcher as well as his survival pack.

When he re-entered the cave, Vader's head had dropped down to his chest. Luke thought he might have lost consciousness again. He gave no recognition to the younger man's approach. Luke turned back to the cave opening as a series of beeps and whistles sprang from the blue and white droid that still sat next to the boulders in the rain.

"I'm sorry, Artoo," Luke called down to his little friend. "I don't see how I can get you up here."

"He should be able to do so himself," Vader interjected. His head still bent down heavily.

Luke turned to appraise the Dark Lord. He wondered momentarily at his statement. "Oh, you mean his booster rockets," Luke replied. "I never have been able to get those to work."

At the young man's comment, Vader slowly raised his head and leaned back. His helmet came to rest against the cold stone behind him. There were no more words between them. The tension of the moment was broken by a series of high pitched electronic shrieks from the little droid. Luke whirled around to see Artoo slowly rise from the ground and effortlessly float up to the cave. As he landed, the little droid gave a few sharp tweets and a shudder as if dispelling the rainwater from his cylindrical casing. He then tottered off to the side of the cave where he quickly deactivated himself. Apparently, Luke thought, in some type of huff.

Not knowing what else to do, Luke turned to the Dark Lord who remained motionless against the cave wall. "Thanks," was all Luke could muster. There was no reply.


	3. Chapter 3

**Description:** When a mission goes wrong, Luke Skywalker crashes on an uninhabited planet. While waiting for rescue, he makes an unexpected discovery.

A/N #1: I do not own Star Wars, but I do so enjoy playing in the Galaxy.

A/N #2: Thank you so much to my beta reader. Her help is immeasurable.

A/N #3: Thanks to everyone for all the many reviews and encouragement. I truly hope you will continue to enjoy this story.

Chapter 3

Despite being stranded on an isolated planet, pinned down by a raging tempest, and enduring the forced company of the most feared man in the Galaxy, Luke Skywalker was feeling pretty optimistic at the moment. Maybe he really was lucky.

The cave that they occupied was more than adequate to suit their needs. It was deep enough to offer them protection from the elements. The stone ceiling was sufficiently high with a large entrance that allowed adequate ventilation to safely build a small campfire. Best of all, it didn't appear to be currently inhabited by any native creatures.

Upon arrival, Luke had begun setting up their temporary camp. He first unpacked the survival equipment that he had brought with him. Medical supplies, field rations, glow-sticks, small tool kit, thermal bedroll; just about everything they would need in the short term laid on the packed dirt in an orderly fashion. In deference to his little friend, one of his first tasks had been to hook Artoo into the portable emergency generator. The little droid sat quietly against the wall recharging his internal systems.

His next chore was to make a fire. Luke had used some of the dead leaves and branches that had settled against the stone walls for kindling. The debris was dry enough to serve as tinder and ignited instantly. The healthy blaze he had built was providing enough heat to chase the dank chill from the air as well as dry his sweat and rain soaked flight suite.

Luke estimated it to be early evening by now. The forest outside was cloaked in darkness. The storm still raged. Splits of bright spindled lightning shooting across the sky followed by angry rumbles of thunder accentuated nature's fury. The campfire provided the majority of their light source. Robust flames cast flickering shapes against the cavern walls. Even with the deployment of additional glow-sticks, shadows had seemed to stubbornly cling to the corners. The darkest gloom gathered like a mantle around the figure of Darth Vader who remained motionless against the back wall.

Once the fire was started, Luke's thoughts turned on how to sustain it. At first, he had contemplated braving the storm to gather firewood. It hadn't taken long for him to forego that idea. He was still too much of a desert rat to willingly wade through the tempest that raged outside. Instead of braving the elements, he had decided to dismantle the make-shift stretcher he had built. He figured he wouldn't need it again anyway. The Falcon was equipped with a repulsor stretcher; they would use that to get his prisoner back to the ship.

Luke idly smiled to himself as he thought about his friend's anticipated arrival. He couldn't wait to see their faces when they discovered he had single-handedly apprehended Darth Vader. He still wasn't quite sure how he had managed it. Luke was no fool. He knew that Vader's capture should not have been this easy. Not that he was complaining. Even now, Vader sat unmoving against the back of the cave, his helmet cradled against the crook of the stone corner behind his head. He had been this way since he levitated Artoo into the cave. Luke silently wondered if the effort had caused the ebony armored man to pass out again. With his mask, there was no way to know for certain.

Luke had been on uneasy guard ever since the Dark Lord had first regained consciousness. He waited apprehensively for any sign of the Sith living up to his fearsome reputation. But so far, Vader had kept to his word and made no attempt to escape. It might have been just due to the extent of his injuries, but Luke sensed that there was another reason afoot. Vader's unknown motives were something that Luke was trying very hard not to think about.

The rebel gave Vader another wary glance as he continued cutting the long tree limbs that had made the stretcher down to more manageable sizes. He had forgotten to bring the small axe from the cockpit of his fighter, so he was forced to use his lightsaber for the menial task. He had to admit, it worked pretty well. He was just about done with the last long pole.

"You should not use your weapon in such a manner."

Luke jumped when he heard Vader's deep baritone voice reverberate off the cavern walls. The youth turned to regard the Dark Lord. He had not moved, not even his head. Luke silently wondered if he had actually heard him at all. The resonance of the pouring rain that filled the cave practically drowned out the rasp of the Dark Lord's respirator. Maybe Luke's imagination had just gotten the better of him. He tossed that promising notion away immediately.

"I don't have any other way to cut the firewood." Luke proffered a weak excuse. "I forgot the axe."

Vader still did not move. Luke could feel the air thicken around him. He stilled his nerves and tightened his grip on his lightsaber as he continued to warily observe his bound prisoner. Three quick snaps next to him broke the tension in the air. He involuntarily startled at the sound. When Luke glanced down he saw that the last log he had been working on had mysteriously broken into several pieces. Luke looked back uneasily at Vader and grimaced. The idea that the unfortunate log could have been his own neck popped into his mind. He pushed that queasy thought aside quickly. He sure hoped Han would get here soon.

"Your lightsaber is your life, boy," Vader admonished. "You should respect it as such." He still had not moved.

"I didn't think it would do any harm," Luke shot back. He was getting more than a little annoyed with being reprimanded by his own prisoner. Still, he extinguished his lightsaber and clipped it back on his belt.

"Your Master should have taught you…" Vader started.

"I don't have a Master!" Luke snapped, his irritation rising. "I'm not a slave."

Luke's sharp rebuke finally caused a physical reaction from the Dark Lord. He slowly pulled his head away from the wall and turned to regard the defiant blond-haired rebel fully.

"Were you not Kenobi's Padawan?" Vader's words came slow and dangerous.

Luke heard profound animosity in the mechanical voice with the mention of Old Ben's surname. Vader's question, however, had managed to knock the mounting ire out of the young man. In fact, it made him curious. He had never heard that term before.

"What's a Padawan?" Luke questioned.

There was a long uncomfortable pause. Luke sensed he had become the center of the Dark Lord's attention. He was not happy about it. The young man felt like he was standing naked in the middle of the cave; as if the menacing man that sat before him in shadow had somehow striped him down and was peering straight into his soul.

"A Jedi apprentice," Vader finally answered slowly.

"Oh," Luke responded. He was a bit ashamed at his apparent lack of knowledge regarding the proper name for a student. Not quite sure why, he felt compelled to answer Vader's original question.

"I suppose so." Luke admitted tentatively. "He taught me a little. We didn't have a lot of time together. You saw to that." He gave the Dark Lord an accusatory glare as he picked up the scattered pieces of firewood at his feet.

Luke moved to add the logs to the small pile he had amassed just inside the cave opening. The last piece he took and placed on the campfire. He then plopped down next to it. Vader continued to watch him intently.

"It seems that you know who I am," Luke ventured. He grew even more uncomfortable with the Sith's concentrated scrutiny.

"Indeed," Vader responded.

Luke scrubbed his grime covered face with his hands trying to dispel his growing tension. He wasn't sure what was more disconcerting; an unconscious Darth Vader, or one who spoke little and said even less. Raking his fingers through his blond hair, he offered a silent prayer for a functioning Millennium Falcon hyperdrive to hasten his rescue.

Trying to come up with some type of distraction, he pulled over the plastic case that contained a generous supply of emergency field rations. He opened the lid and began rummaged through the stash.

"Are you hungry?" Luke asked as he examined the packet labels for anything that sounded even slightly appealing.

"That question is irrelevant," Vader answered noncommittally.

Finding a protein bar, Luke ripped open the covering and took a bite. He almost gagged. Tatooine sand tasted better then this.

"You have to eat sometime." Luke attempted to continue the conversation.

Vader attempted to end it. "My suit sustains me."

However, the Dark Lord's short response had intrigued his captor.

"Completely?"

"Yes," he hissed.

Luke's brow wrinkled as he frowned at the mental picture that intruded his thoughts.

"Can't you even take off your mask?" he inquired.

"Not here." Again, Vader's reply was annoyingly vague. The Dark Lord shifted slightly and appeared to be overwhelmed by the movement. Luke felt waves of pain radiating from the Sith like physical blows.

"You're badly injured." Luke's compassion had overridden his anxiety. "We have medical supplies. I could…"

"You have nothing here that I require," Vader cut him off.

"Sorry."

"I need none of your pity, boy," Vader snapped. Luke had obviously stuck a disconcerting cord within the Dark Lord.

"Listen," Luke retorted hotly. He had lost his patience. Walking around on eggshells for the next however many days was not going to be practical. He glared at Vader as he continued. "If we're going to be stuck here, we can at least be civil to each other."

"I am a Sith Lord," Vader snarled. "I do not need to be civil."

"Well, it would sure help." Luke turned his eyes back to the fire. He took another bite of the tasteless protein bar.

Vader fell silent. Luke relaxed a little as he noted the unreadable black mask turn away from him. Vader again leaned his head back against the stone wall.

"At least we won't be here long," Luke offered. "My friends will be looking for me. When they get here, we can get off of this rock and back to the Alliance."

"You broadcast your feelings, boy," Vader's rumbled. "Be mindful of the trust you place in your friends."

"What do you mean?" Luke questioned.

"Such strong attachment to them will only lead you down a path toward betrayal, or worse," the Dark Lord ominously warned.

"That's not possible," Luke defended. "I would give my life for Han or Leia." Vader's cryptic warning had not only annoyed him, it began to stir his anger. "They would do the same for me."

"You are naïve, boy" Vader continued his dark musings "Your rebel friends favor you now because of your talents. But they do not understand them. As you become stronger, they will begin to fear you. It is inevitable."

"That's a pretty cynical point of view," Luke snapped.

"It is the truth," Vader's bitter words were even, though the tone was dark.

"Look," The young man had reached his limit. He could no longer hold back his growing frustration. "I know you're hurting. I imagine that a lot of this doom and gloom is just coming from your own pain. I would expect it is at least." Luke wasn't sure why his emotions were stirred to such a level. It was not like him to be this way. He closed his eyes and willed himself to calm. "I already know who you are," he continued. "So you don't have to keep up with this intimidation act. It's not working anyway."

Luke quickly realized that his outburst had regained him Vader's intense scrutiny. The uncomfortable feeling of his mind being sifted through began to grow. He consciously decided to resist. He narrowed his eyes and starred back at the masked figure. He felt the invasion into his thoughts end sharply. It was as if protective walls had been thrown up around his mind in defense. He figured he had done something, but was at a loss as to know how he had accomplished it.

"You are very perceptive, young one," Vader finally responded. His mechanical tone had calmed markedly. "I will curb my negative views and attempt to be…civil."

"Good." Luke quipped. "I would hate to think anyone could live with such a pessimistic view on life." Luke took a deep settling breath. "There's always hope," he mumbled softly, more for his own assurance than anything else.

Both men fell silent. Luke couldn't say that he was terribly disappointed about that. A small part of him wanted to know what Darth Vader was thinking. The larger part of him was worried that he would soon find out.

After Luke had finally managed to choke down the protein bar, there was nothing left to do but to tend the fire. He watched mesmerized as the ravenous flames devoured their fuel. He had considered the idea of meditation. It was one of the first Jedi skills that Old Ben had taught him; and he had grown pretty adept at it. But the thought of opening his mind defenselessly in such close proximity to Darth Vader was not at all appealing. With no other options, he unfastened his thermal bedroll and prepared for sleep.

The day's events soon caught up with him. Exhaustion overtook Luke's body as well as his mind. The mixed sounds of the falling rain and the Vader's respirator quickly lulled him into a deeply troubled sleep.

Vader keenly watched the young rebel as he slept. With his injuries, he could do little else. Although he had actively pursued their first meeting for months, this encounter was not going at all as planned. But thus far, it had proven to be very enlightening.

Although the thunder and lightening had abated, rain could still be heard falling intensely. The campfire had died down to embers, and the cave was consumed in shadow. Vader was used to such darkness. It was comforting to him. It also did little to hinder the enhanced visual sensors employed by his mask. The Sith pulled his eyes away from Luke's slumbering form and scanned the darkened cavern.

"Artoo," Vader's voice was as quiet as his enunciator would allow. At his name, the little astromech droid finally came back to life. He twittered softly as his photo receptor began to glow.

"Bring me that toolkit," Vader ordered. "I will fix your booster rockets."

The little droid shuddered. He whistled and tooted nervously.

"If I wanted to harm either you or the boy, I would have already done so," Vader replied.

Again, the droid issued his protest with a series of wary beeps.

"Fine, I will withdraw my offer," Vader snarled. "You obviously have learned to enjoy being moved about with the Force."

Artoo whistled sharply in response. He swiveled the photo sensor on his domed head purposefully away from the Sith.

"Just remember," Vader threatened softly. "You will need to get down from this cave eventually."

Artoo spewed another series of hushed beeps and whistles. A pincer appendage extended from a compartment on his cylindrical body. The little droid used the mechanical arm to detach his power cable and tossed it down with effort as he moved away from the cave wall. He grabbed the small tool kit with the same extended appendage as he crossed the cave floor, dragging it over to the Dark Lord.

"I thought you would see things my way," Vader chided softly.

The little droid moved up snuggly next to the armored man. He opened several of his panels to allow access to his internal components. Vader looked over the meager inventory of the kit and floated a small hydrospanner up to one of his bound hands. He mentally braced himself for the pain that he know his impending movements would cause and then turned toward the little droid.

"This will be a bit awkward, Artoo." He regarded the droid. "But it should not take long."

As Vader began his work, Artoo twittered another series of soft tones.

"Yes, Artoo," Vader answered quietly. "It is good to see you as well."


	4. Chapter 4

**Description:** When a mission goes wrong, Luke Skywalker crashes on an uninhabited planet. While waiting for rescue, he makes an unexpected discovery.

A/N #1: I do not own Star Wars, but I do so enjoy playing in the Galaxy.

A/N #2: Thank you so much to my beta reader. Her help is immeasurable.

A/N #3: Sorry it has taken so long to post this chapter. The holidays, bad weather, work, power outages, as well as a last minute urge to re-write the middle section and add more depth to the story caused a lengthier delay than intended. I hope that you will find this update worth the wait.

A/N #4: Thanks to everyone for all the many reviews and bits of encouragement. Your continued interest has challenged me to bring my writing skills to a higher level. I truly hope you will continue to enjoy this story.

Chapter 4

Luke braced his arms on the top of the cave entrance and leaned forward as he gazed out at the untamed forest. Although it was clearly morning, it was difficult to tell the hour. An impenetrable fog had developed overnight. It concealed the location of the sun like a gray shroud. Rain still fell, although it had lessened significantly. The light drizzle combined with gossamer vapors to form swirling mists that danced hauntingly among the trees. The ambiguous weather well represented Luke's unsettled mood.

The rebel dropped his head as he stretched his protesting muscles. He wasn't sure if the stiffness plaguing his body was caused from the crash or from from sleeping on the hard damp ground. Either way, it was an annoyance he would have to endure.

Luke had more to worry about beyond his physical misery. He was exhausted. He had slept deeply, but not well. Though he could not remember them in detail, he knew his dreams had been both turbulent and dark. Now that he was awake, he could not dispel the anxiety that had begun to creep into his soul. It felt like a smothering cloak pressing in from all sides. The gnawing feeling of unrest settled uncomfortably in his gut.

Luke twisted slightly to view the reason for his mental distress. Vader's form was wrapped in the shadow as he remained motionless against the back of the cave. The rhythmic flashing from small lights on his armored suite and measured cycles of his respirator made the Sith's ominous presence impossible to ignore.

Luke turned back and sighed heavily. Beyond his current circumstances, his edgy conversation with the Dark Lord continued to trouble him. Luke had not been himself last night; that was clear. His disposition was disturbing, though he still could not understand its cause. He had been both angry and frustrated; this morning, he was just frustrated. Worst of all, there was little he could do to change his mood.

"Doesn't it do anything else around here but rain?" Luke's complaint echoed hollowly. He had expected no response and startled slightly when he received one.

"I would have thought that you'd appreciate the change from the arid waste of your home world," Vader rumbled quietly. Although his voice was mechanically replicated, Luke picked up a difference in tone; an unexpected calmness had infiltrated the Dark Lord's words, curbing their intensity.

"You know of Tatooine?" Luke twisted to look suspiciously at the Dark Lord. He remained unmoving against the back corner of the cave. His head rested against the wall.

Vader hesitated, and then responded slowly. "I have been there." His words seemed strained.

"Yeah," Luke retorted sarcastically. "Definitely not the bright center of the universe."

The young man turned back to the gray nothingness and leaned his head heavily on his upraised arms. Both men fell quiet. Luke listened to the eerie combination of the dripping water accentuated by the rasping of the Dark Lord's respirator.

"I never liked the sand," Vader finally broke the silence.

Luke was surprised that the Sith would willingly engage him in conversation. Vader was not acting like the menacing dark man he was just hours ago. The change was unexpected as well as disquieting, but Luke felt no threat from him, only curiosity.

"I know what you mean," Luke commented dryly. "It gets everywhere."

"Indeed."

Although cautious of the Vader's marked change in behavior, Luke had to admit he was also intrigued. How much did the Sith actually know about Tatooine? How much did he know about him? Luke's mind churned with a myriad of similar questions. Keeping his back to his bound captive, Luke decided to keep talking. If nothing else, it would pass the time and keep away boredom.

"At least it was warm," the rebel bemoaned. "And dry."

"If you call scorching heat warm, and parched wastes dry," Vader countered, a bit more strength apparent behind his words.

"Still," Luke's voice became distant. "I miss it sometimes." His memories began taking him back to a far more innocent time. "Not often," he added quietly.

The young rebel pulled both his mind and body away from the mouth of the cave. He picked up a log from the well depleted stack and walked over to the campfire he had re-lit earlier. After placing the wood carefully into the burning flames, he settled down next to the fire and began rooting through the stash of emergency rations. He was not really hungry, especially for the wan source of nourishment available. But he had been well instructed in survival skills, both by the Alliance as well as his upbringing in a hostile environment. He would need to keep up his strength. He chose another type of energy bar. Luke hoped it would taste better than the last one. After unwrapping it, he took a bite. He was wrong, it didn't.

"What could you possibly miss about Tatooine, young one?" Vader questioned as he watched the boy's efforts to choke down his breakfast. The rebel was again aware of the intense scrutiny by the Dark Lord. At least Vader was not infiltrating his mind this time.

"I don't know," Luke mouthed an answer around his dry meal. "Friends, family," he dropped his head as the image of his Aunt and Uncle's destroyed moisture farm flashed into his mind. Fresh anguish blossomed in his belly and his throat began to close at the memory of his first direct encounter with the cruelty of the Empire. There had been so many instances that had touched his life since, but none so personal.

For a moment, Luke thought to lash out at the Dark Lord, accusing him of involvement in his guardians' death. The rebel closed his eyes tightly and pushed down his growing anger. He did not want his sentiments to take him back to the dark place where he dwelled last night. He swallowed hard to rid himself of both his stale breakfast as well as his unwanted emotions.

Luke took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He decided to focus his mind on happier memories. Places where he had always enjoyed being. That would be a safer conversation. He started to list them: "Tosche Station, Anchorhead, Beggar's Canyon …"

"Why Beggar's Canyon?" Vader interrupted.

"I use to fly my T-16 there," a slight smile crossed the young man's face as he reminisced of a happier time.

"A Skyhopper," Vader seemed intrigued. "They are very agile craft, as well as fast. I assume you took advantage of the terrain to hone your piloting skills."

"If you're asking me if I used to race there, then yeah, I did," Luke grinned as he took another bite of the tasteless bar. After he managed to swallow it down, he cleared his throat and continued. "Actually, I would race just about anything I could get my hands on, swoop bikes, speeders. I used to drive my Uncle Owen crazy."

"I can well imagine," Vader's deep baritone echoed through the cave. The conversation lagged into silence.

Not able to force himself to consume any more of the stale energy bar, Luke folded the wrapper around it and set it down on the ground. He turned and began rooting through the case of rations again for a better option.

"You would have enjoyed the pod races in Mos Espa," The Dark Lord shifted slightly and turned his head to address the young rebel directly.

"I heard about the pod races," Luke's interest was now piqued; the young rebel sat up and focused on the Dark Lord. He stopped sorting through the container; the thought of food vanished from his mind. "I think they were banned right after I was born. I never saw one."

Luke felt drawn to gaze into the soulless lenses of Vader's mask. He could not dismiss a growing impression that their meaningless banter was about to lead to something more tangible.

An outburst of electronic whistles and beeps interrupted their exchange; Luke looked over to see that R2D2 had come to life. The young man had not paid attention to the little droid since they arrived at the cave yesterday. He noted that Artoo had unplugged himself from the portable generator and was now positioned across the cave from where he sat originally. Luke was a bit puzzled as to why he hadn't noticed before; he no doubt had too much on his mind. The young man pulled his focus back to his conversation.

"They were very fast," Vader mused. "And very dangerous."

Artoo rolled forward with a new rant of short whistles. He was being very persistent, but Luke wasn't sure why. The little droid's actions effectively ended the discussion. Vader seemed to slump back against the wall and slowly returned his helmet to rest on the cold stone behind him.

"You understand him don't you?" Luke questioned.

"More than you can possibly imagine," Vader replied cryptically.

"How did you get him in the cave yesterday?" The young man queried.

"The Force."

"I know that," Luke's quick response came sharper than he had intended. He softened his tone and continued, "What I meant was: how did you do it?"

Vader tipped his helmet slightly, as if contemplating an idea in his mind. He then slowly pulled his head away from the wall and focused on the young rebel. "Come," he offered invitingly. "Sit next to me and I will show you."

A sharp trill of whistles and frenzied beeps spurted from the little cylindrical droid. He rocked furiously from side to side trying to catch either man's attention. His harried efforts, however, were making no impact.

Luke sat dazed. He frantically wondered how he had managed to recklessly walk right into this mental minefield. Simultaneously, he was trying to think how he was going to escape from it. With a start, he realized that his jaw had dropped open. He clamped it tight quickly and swallowed hard to alleviate the sudden dryness of his throat and mouth.

"It is a Jedi skill." The emphasis the Dark Lord placed on the title made it seem like the very word had caused him pain. "An ability developed early in one's training."

Luke's head was now spinning. He blinked several times as he struggled to shake himself out of his continuing stupor. He never would have expected to receive such an offer, especially from the man assigned to exterminate the Jedi out of existence.

Artoo had now taken to making tight figure eights between the two men. His commentary continued even louder. Luke glanced over at the distraught droid. It seemed to give him the distraction he needed to regain his wits about him.

"Uh, no," the blond haired youth finally found his voice and declined the tempting offer. "I don't think that would be a good idea."

Apparently appeased at his young master's refusal, the astromech calmed his frantic movements and emitted a long relieved tone. He retracted his third leg and stood silent.

"You will find it an easy talent to master," the Sith continued undaunted. "It was for me."

"It wouldn't be right," Luke protested. Old Ben's warnings about the dangers of the Dark Side as well as the treachery of the Sith rushed to the front of his mind.

"Only the energy of Light Side of the Force is required," Vader continued to press on. It was as if he understood the rebel's hesitancy.

Luke swallowed again. He slowly began to feel his resistance wavering. The thought of learning a new Force skill was very appealing. He had not had a formal lesson for nearly a year; he craved for the knowledge, but he also feared the price of it. Would he be tricked into using the Dark Side of the Force? Would he even be able to recognize it if he did?

"You will not be harmed," the Dark Lord averred. "You have my word."

Luke bit his lip pensively as he silently debated the wisdom of what he should do against the desire of what he wanted to do. Vader had already promised not to try to escape, and to this point, he had offered no resistance. Luke knew enough not to totally trust him, but he did not feel any deception from the ebony armored man now. His most compelling internal argument was that he really did want to know how Vader had levitated Artoo into the cave.

Again, relying on a deep seated hunch, Luke rose and tentatively walked over to the Sith Lord. The little astromech droid rolled forward toward his young master and twittered nervously. Luke placed a reassuring hand on his chrome top as he passed.

The rebel would be trusting, but not stupid. Keeping himself a reasonable distance from the Dark Lord, he sat down with a grimace and crossed his legs in a comfortable meditative pose.

Vader's black mask had tracked the young man's movement across the cave. After Luke had settled, he nodded to the rebel and then turned away to lean his helm back against the stone wall.

"To achieve your desires," Vader began quietly. "To manipulate the Force to your will; you must first clear your mind."

Luke was still hesitant, but he did as instructed. With a deep breath, he closed his eyes and pushed away his thoughts as well as his still turbulent anxieties. He began to feel a heavy presence pressing at the edge of his consciousness. Luke tensed slightly when he recognized the similar sensation from the previous night. He realized it was the essence of Vader's mind, though it seemed distinctly different from the overwhelming intensity he had felt previously. Intrigued, Luke reached out to discover the reason for the change. When the cause struck him, the young man's eyes fluttered as he pulled himself back to full consciousness. His brows furrowed as he frowned and looked over at his captive.

"You're in a lot of pain," Luke observed.

Vader's mask jerked slightly before he turned to face the young man next to him. It appeared that Luke's acknowledgment of the man's physical state had surprised the Dark Lord.

"Do not concern yourself with my…condition."

"If you're hurting," Luke continued. "We don't have to do this."

"I have acquired a great tolerance for discomfort, young one," Vader rumbled. He was obviously not comfortable with the young man's empathy. "You should continue."

Luke nodded in compliance and hesitantly began the exercise again. He closed his eyes and drew in a centering breath. He could feel the Sith relax back against the wall as well. The young man could soon sense the presence of Vader's mind next to his. He made no attempt to intrude into the rebel's thoughts, which allowed Luke to settle himself even more.

"Good," Vader soothed. "Now, stretch out with your feelings."

It took Luke a moment to discern that Vader's voice had changed markedly. It was no longer the harsh, artificially produced utterances from the mechanical enunciator, but softer human tones. Luke realized that the Dark Lord was speaking to him from within his own mind. For some reason, it fascinated Luke to hear Vader's real voice. He smiled slightly in recognition of that fact as he continued to follow instructions.

"We will begin with something small," Vader intoned softly. "Focus on the energy bar that you left by the fire."

"I thought you said I could use the Force to achieve my desires," Luke pushed his thought over the tentative connection that had been established between them. The young man felt an amused brush against his mind. He was stunned at the reaction his comment had stirred from the Dark Lord. He had never thought it possible for a Sith to have a sense of humor.

"So I did, young one," Vader responded lightly. "Nevertheless, it will be a start."

Luke felt himself adrift in a balmy sea of peaceful calm. His mind was distant, yet alert. Even with his eyes closed, he slowly became aware of the location as well as the mental feel of every item that lay within the cave. Luke could also feel Vader's powerful presence hovering closer than ever, but not threateningly so. Oddly, it seemed somewhat familiar to the young rebel; it reminded him of being around Leia.

Lulled by Vader's knowledgeable teachings, Luke allowed his mind to follow the man's guidance. The peace that Luke felt within confirmed that his instructor currently harbored no sinister intent. Luke easily recognized the Light Side of the Force as it flowed through him. The energies that Luke was able to tap into gave him the same euphoric feelings he had experienced when working with Ben.

Luke tendered a silly grin when he opened his eyes to see the partially wrapped energy bar resting in the palm of his outstretched hand. It had taken so little effort to accomplish the task once he knew how to direct his thoughts. He was truly amazed.

Time passed unnoticed as Luke continued to build on the complexity of his lessons. He was soon moving larger and heavier items around the cave. As the young man's confidence grew, he began to levitate multiple objects. Eventually even R2D2 rose slowly to float several centimeters above the ground. Luke distantly heard the shrill commentary of sharp whistles from the little droid.

"Your droid is not pleased to be the focus of your attention," Vader whispered in Luke's mind. "I would suggest we end your lesson for today."

At his comment, Vader gently withdrew his presence from their tenuous connection. The resulting vacuum caused a break in Luke's concentration. The harder the young man struggled to keep the multitude of objects suspended, the less control he maintained. Finally, everything including the astromech dropped to the ground with one great thump. The little droid squealed with displeasure at his abrupt landing.

"Sorry, Artoo," Luke exhaled heavily as he apologized to the droid.

The blue and white astromech issued a scathing electronic rant as he tottered off to the cave wall where he previously resided. Luke could not suppress a smile at his mechanical friend's tirade.

"I think I upset him."

"Give him time," Vader advised. "He will calm down, eventually."

The young man winced at the mechanical tones vocalized through the Dark Lord's enunciator. They once again carried the familiar ominous harshness that was not present in the inner voice of the mysterious man within the ebony suit.

Luke rubbed his hands over his face and then raked his fingers through his blond hair. He was slightly dizzy and felt a twinge of fatigue after his long lesson. He blinked several times as his eyes began to refocus on his surroundings. He looked out the cave opening and noticed that the rain had stopped and the fog had dissipated. Shadows from the ridge above them had crept into the tree line indicating that the sun was declining. The clouds that remained in the deepening azure sky were taking on golden and pink hues as the day edged its way to dusk. Had they actually been meditating the entire day?

"You have great potential, young one," Vader observed. Luke began to feel a tingling at the back of his neck and instantly became wary.

"Thanks," the young man uneasily acknowledged the Sith's praise. The rebel stood up and apprehensively moved away from the Dark Lord.

"I am sure that Obi Wan would have told you this," Vader voiced evenly. "You have only begun to discover your abilities. But you still have much to learn."

Luke's foreboding grew. The cave walls seemed to constrict as tendrils of darkness caused by more than the waning sun descended around him. For the first time this day, Luke thought of his friends and hoped beyond reason that they would arrive soon.

He tried to ignore the direction in which their conversation was leading. Looking for a distraction, he realized that the fire had burned down; he silently grabbed the last few logs that remained from the dismantled stretcher and placed them on the glowing embers in an attempt to revitalize it.

"How will you learn, young one?" The Sith continued to push the issue. "Who will teach you?"

"I'll teach myself if I have to," Luke kept his eyes averted from the menacing presence of the Dark Lord. His anxiety level was growing exponentially. It now exceeded the near feral intensity it was when he first discovered the injured man trapped in his wrecked fighter. He thought when he rescued Vader that he would eventually regret the decision to do so. Now he did.

"That is not possible."

"Then I'll find someone else to help me," Luke countered. Although he had not mentioned the Jedi, Luke knew that Vader was well aware of who the young man had been referring. The rebel could feel the Sith's hatred flare at the unspoken reference to the once vibrant order.

"There is no one left, boy," threatening darkness dripped heavily from Vader's terse reply. "I have seen to that, personally."

A shiver of ice ran down Luke's spine at the Dark Lord's deadly tone. The air around him seemed to thicken, stifling his thoughts. Swallowing hard, the young man moved to the front of the cave for relief and peered toward the darkening forest. He desperately looked for an excuse to escape the growing sense of dread filling him.

"I need to get some more wood for the fire," Luke distractedly mumbled.

"Come with me," Vader ordered menacingly. "I will complete your training."

"Come with you?" The rebel spun to face his captive in shock. "Aren't you forgetting that you're my prisoner?" Luke narrowed his eyes and balled his fists as his indignation flashed.

"I am well aware of the current situation." Vader snapped. The Dark Lord pulled his gaze from the blond haired youth and slowly turned his helm away to face the cave wall across from where he sat.

"Luke," Vader began slowly. Although strained tension could still be discerned through the mechanical enunciator, the Sith was obviously attempting to regain control of his fervent emotions. "Join me, and I can help you become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."

"At what price?" The rebel spat. "I want nothing to do with your sinister ways." Luke turned away and leaned his head heavily on his raised forearm as he braced himself against the side of the cave entrance in disgust.

"We are much alike, young one," Vader's coerced.

"You're wrong!" Though he tried to block him, Luke was drawn in by Vader's dark words. He shut his eyes tightly and fought to drive away the invisible spell that seemed to be seeping into his soul. "I'm nothing like you," he bemoaned.

"Our destinies have chosen us to follow a warrior's path," Vader continued undeterred. "We may desire peace and security, but we are only tools to be used by others in their attempts to control the galaxy."

"No!" The rebel's rage exploded as he spun around to face his accuser. "That's not true," Luke shouted. "We're nothing alike. You're a monster, a murder of hundreds of thousands."

"As are you," Vader snarled.

Stunned at the accusation, the young man stared vacantly at the Dark Lord for what seemed an eternity.

"What do you mean?" he finally breathed. His voice breaking with repressed emotion.

"Just because you do not see the damage your fighter inflicts makes it no less real," Vader contended. "There were over three hundred men manning the communications station you destroyed yesterday. Over five times that many on the supply ship your squadron attacked last month."

"Casualties of war," the rebel mouthed the empty words he had heard far too often over the past year. He dropped his eyes to the ground as a chill that had no external cause ran through him.

"And how many do you believe were stationed on the Death Star, Luke?" Vader goaded. "Do you even know?"

"That was different," Luke's head snapped up. He glared at the Sith and defended his past action with great passion. "I was protecting our base from annihilation. That abomination had to be destroyed."

"Disguise the truth as you wish, boy," Vader chided. "But your righteous justifications do little to ease the suffering of your victim's loved ones."

Luke physically paled. It felt as if he had been punched in gut by the Sith's evil allegations. Ever since that life changing event, Luke had struggled with the aftermath of his actions. His friends in the Alliance had honored him as a hero. But after the initial euphoria of victory had past, he had felt undeserving of their accolades. Leia had tried to convince him that the deaths he caused were justified. The destruction of the battle station no doubt saved countless planets from the same fate that had befallen Alderaan. But her strong convictions never truly eased his pain.

Luke began to tremble with emotion. How could he know? Had the Sith been able to invade the deep recesses of his mind without his knowledge? Was Vader aware of the haunting nightmares that plagued him and would no doubt continue to do so for the rest of his life? Was he now simply exploiting the young man's concealed anguish for his own dark purpose?

Luke shuddered as he tightly closed his eyes and struggled to regain his composure. He inhaled deeply, but his lungs refused to accept the oxygen his breath offered. His temples throbbed as a stab of panic began to radiate from his core. He had to leave. He had to escape the gruesome images of carnage that now flashed in his mind.

"I-I need to get more wood," he mumbled dully. The stricken rebel numbly turned and stumbled out of the cave. "I won't be long."

The constant rasping of Vader's respirator echoing off the cold stone walls remained the only sound that lingered in the cave. The Dark Lord sat deathly still in the growing shadows as he glared intensely at the cave opening long after the young man disappeared from view. Vader's anger continued to grow to a dangerous level. It filled him completely and blocked his barely tolerable pain. Unable to keep his fury within, it soon spewed outward and flooded the cavern with a near physical presence. Without warning, the emergency generator flew across the cave and smashed against the stone wall.

Showered with broken shards of metal and plastic that rained down upon him, the little astromech droid's sensors immediately blinked back to awareness. Apparently startled by his rude awakening, Artoo rolled forward and beeped angrily at the Dark Lord.

"Enough!" Vader roared at the droid. "I grow tired of your meddling."

Undeterred, the blue and white astromech continued with his electronic admonishments.

"I am being patient," Vader hissed. "I am still trussed up like a fatted Nerf, am I not?"

Artoo gave another short burst of beeps directed at the Dark Lord.

"No!" The Sith fumed at the astromech. "I do not find this situation amusing."

Silence fell over both man and droid. Vader dropped his helmet to his chest. With much determination, he released the overwhelming rage that had consumed him. The stifling atmosphere that filled the cave slowly began to dissipate.

"The boy does not perceive his peril, Artoo," Vader rumbled darkly. "I cannot protect him if he chooses to fight me."

Satisfied that there would be no additional projectiles hurled toward him, the little droid issued a short reply as he wheeled himself back to the cave wall.

"I fear Luke's stubborn nature will prevent him from listening to reason," the Dark Lord grumbled morosely.

Artoo turned his chrome head in the direction of the Sith and beeped sharply.

"And what do you mean by that?"

A long whistle issued from little droid as he turned his photo sensor away and shut down his systems.

Vader shook his head to dismiss Artoo's final comment. Left alone in the growing darkness, he turned his helmet to once again stare out the cave opening and reformulated a new plan. There was little time remaining to do so.


	5. Chapter 5

**Description:** When a mission goes wrong, Luke Skywalker crashes on an uninhabited planet. While waiting for rescue, he makes an unexpected discovery.

A/N #1: I do not own Star Wars, but I do so enjoy playing in the Galaxy.

A/N #2: Thank you so much to my beta reader. Her help is immeasurable.

A/N #3: Thanks to everyone for all the many reviews and bits of encouragement. To say I am blown away is an understatement, but please do not stop. I do so enjoy reading them. I have tried to respond to your recent reviews individually. I truly hope you will continue to enjoy this story.

Chapter 5

The forest that lay before him was smothered in inky blackness. Unlike his home world, there was no radiant sand, nor trio of satellite moons to interfere the sterile shroud of night. The warm glow from the campfire mixed with illuminated glow sticks emitting from the cave above him offered the only relief to the all consuming gloom. Accompanying the darkness, a cacophony of sounds resonated from a myriad of unseen creatures around him. Nature's night music carried adrift by the crisp evening air.

Melding into the darkened surroundings, Luke Skywalker leaned heavily against the cold stone boulders as he sat on the damp ground in front of their forced refuge. He had remained here in silent contemplation for what seemed like hours. His self imposed exile due to his inability to tolerate the very sight of his prisoner at the moment.

Luke's task of gathering firewood had taken little time. He had found the forest floor heavily laden with dried brittle limbs. The young man had easily snapped them into shorter lengths using the ramming force of a well placed boot. Physical exertion had greatly helped him to release his frustration. It left him feeling spent and empty, as he did now.

When he returned to the cave, Vader had given him no notice. Luke had been glad of that. But even in the uneasy silence, the Dark Lord's overwhelming presence filled the cave with unbearable foreboding. Luke immediately noticed the disintegrated remains of the power generator that lay next to the deactivated form of R2D2. The rebel let it pass as there was no question as to the instigator of the damage.

Luke tried to think of a way to keep from listening to any more of the fearsome Sith's vile rhetoric. Wishing that Vader's injuries would render him unconscious until their rescue was probably a waste of energy. The young man was sure that there was a way to manipulate the Force to accomplish the same feat, but he did not have the knowledge to do so. A momentarily fantasy of gagging the menacing Dark Lord floated into his mind, but that option wasn't at all plausible. With no alternative, the rebel had retreated to the reasonable safety of the ferine wilderness. He almost preferred taking his chances with the natural predators that hunted among the trees. He doubted anything on the planet could be as dangerous as the man that resided in the cave above him.

As he sat in the deepening gloom, a sickening realization festered in the rebel's gut. It spread through his body with icy tendrils until it had removed all doubt from his mind. Despite Luke's feeble declaration of arrest, Vader's weakened state, and the rudimentary bindings with which he had tethered the armored man's wrists; the Dark Lord was only Luke's prisoner because he chose to be. How long this strange scenario continued depended totally on Darth Vader himself. Why the Sith had placed himself in this situation, the young rebel did not dare to guess. The only question that really mattered was what Luke was going to do now? As the night's temperature continued to drop, he realized it was high time to figure that out.

With a heavy sigh, the blond haired rebel looked down at his hands tightly clutching the smooth metal hilt of his father's lightsaber. It had been his most prized possession ever since Ben Kenobi handed it to him nearly a year ago. It was also the only tangible relic he owned that was linked to his heritage; a belated gift from a parent he had never known.

The image that Luke had created in childhood of his idolized father seemed almost palpable at times. He would often sense his father watching over him. Over time, that feeling had only become stronger, especially lately. It brought comfort to the young man; even if it was only a figment of his imagination.

Despite his Uncle's insistence that he was a navigator on a spice freighter, Luke had always felt there was more to the mysterious man that often filled his dreams. When old Ben told him about his father's past as Jedi Knight and war hero, it was only natural to believe without question. The impressive biography had instantly felt right to Luke; as if he had already known it to be true.

Luke had always felt compelled to make something of himself that would somehow bring pride to the man he could never meet. The fact that his father had been a Jedi, well that had just raised the stakes tenfold. Maybe that was the reason his heart had yearned so urgently to follow the old Jedi on Luke's first adventure away from Tatooine? Why he had been so eager to join the rebellion and take up the fight against the Empire? Why he continued to volunteer to lead the most dangerous and difficult missions? He really didn't know. He just never thought his chosen life would be this hard.

That was his problem, Luke silently chided himself. He never really '_thought' _much about his actions at all. He had always been too hasty, too willing to act on impulse. He never gave much consideration to what consequences lay ahead, and would often put the safety of others before his own.

A true Jedi would never be so rash and careless. Luke was sure of that. If his all too brief encounter with old Ben was any indication, the Jedi of the Old Republic would have acted with patience and fortitude. Their actions would have been methodically planned, and would undoubtedly have led to well executed, , , successful results. It would have be a far cry from his seat-of-the-pants style. Sometimes Luke could almost hear his mythical father scolding him over his own recklessness.

He absentmindedly brought up a hand to his massage his throbbing temples. He tightly closed his eyes as the memory of another desperate time came to him. His and Ben's night time race across the cool desert of Tatooine. That journey to Mos Eisly had not only been a stepping stone to his future, but it had been his only window to a greater time that no longer existed. For hours, Luke had enthusiastically interrogated Ben about his father, about the Republic, and about the Jedi. The old man had answered most of his questions, although there were a few vague references that Luke still did not understand. At one point, Luke had asked why it was so important for Ben and his father to sacrifice so much to be Jedi. Why, after so long, had Ben been quick to jump back into service despite the imminent danger? The old Jedi's answer had been simple. _'We do what we must as we are among the few who can.' _

Luke knew when he first heard those words that they would stay with him forever. More than that, he had continued to repeat the mantra to himself over these long lonely months. It gave him comfort when he questioned not only his future ambitions but his sanity as well. He tried to muster strength from those words now.

His birthright had provided him a destiny he could not avoid. He had inherited the ability to feel and wield the Force. He was one of the few, possibly the only one left, who could accomplish tasks that most could not. He had a duty to learn how to use his talent. He could make a difference in the galaxy, or at least he would try. For his friends, for his father, and most of all for himself, he could not fail.

The young man raised his head and looked up at the brilliant display of stars that twinkled down at him from the blackness of space. He hoped to see the distinctive red streak that would indicate the advent of the Millennium Falcon. Despite the Sith's negative words, Luke knew that his friends were on their way. He could feel their concern for him and sensed that they would be arriving soon. His rescue would be coming, but it wouldn't get here any sooner just by his wishing it to happen. He needed to rely on himself for now.

With new resolve, Luke exhaled deeply and rose up from the cold ground. He dusted the dried leaves and dirt off the back of his flight suit as he clipped his lightsaber back to his belt. He wouldn't flee or hide any longer. He would face his fears head on. If that meant confronting the Dark Lord again, then so be it.

Hopefully, the Corellian version of luck that Han insisted he carried would stay with him a little longer, or maybe his phantom father would continue to watch over him until he could find a way out of this nightmare. Either way, it was up to Luke to be strong enough to endure what was to come next. He was not afraid; or at least, he told himself, not that much.

Luke entered the cave with determination and sat himself down by the fire. He immediately noticed that the suffocating atmosphere had lightened considerably. A now alert Artoo tracked the rebel's movements with his photo receptor. He quietly rolled forward to stop next to his young master. Vader remained motionless against the cave wall, his head resting on the cold stone behind him. The young man hoped that it meant that the Dark Lord was either sleeping or unconscious. All too soon, that desired impression was dispelled.

"Luke," Vader's baritone voice echoed throughout the cave. "You are in great danger."

"I'm not afraid of you." The rebel glared defiantly at the Sith. His icy blue eyes flashed with burning resolve.

"It is not I whom you need to fear," Vader's tone was eerily calm.

That was not an answer that the young man had anticipated. His brow furrowed as he hesitated for a few moments and tried to decipher the Sith's mysterious comment.

"Who then?" Luke finally asked.

"The Emperor is your greatest enemy," Vader warned ominously.

A new chill ran down Luke's spine at the Dark Lord's words. "Why would he be concerned with me?" The young man warily questioned.

"Your destruction of his most prized possession would be enough to garner his wrath," Vader answered. "But your heritage presents a far greater threat to him."

"He knows who I am?" Luke was surprised by the information.

"Not yet," The Sith conceded. "But his spy network is extensive. He will soon learn of your existence."

"But not from you?" Luke narrowed his eyes as he tried to understand the Dark Lord's enigmatic counsel.

"No, young one." Vader turned his mask to directly face the rebel. "Not from me."

"But I thought you were the Emperor's enforcer," Luke protested. "Why should I be worried about an old man?"

"Do not underestimate the power of the Emperor," Vader cautioned. "It could cost you far more than your life."

At the Sith's gloomy warning, Artoo issued a short commentary of beeps. Luke didn't understand what he had said, but his actions seemed to cause the Dark Lord to turn away and lean back against the cave wall.

"You still have so much to learn, child." Vader shook his head resignedly.

"I know," Luke acknowledged. "But I will find a way. I will be a Jedi Knight someday, like my father."

"Your father?" At first, the Sith seemed startled by the young man's declaration. A strange noise followed that made Luke wonder if it was the artificial replication of a dismissive scoff. "Your father was misguided."

"Don't say that," the young man's voice flared with hot passion at the perceived insult.

"He was a great Jedi."

The Dark Lord slowly turned his helmet back to Luke's direction. "Anakin Skywalker was a damned fool." Vader's accusation dripped with contempt.

"You lie!" Luke shouted. His vision blurred slightly as angry hot tears welled in his eyes before he desperately willed them away. Luke refused to listen to any berating of his father, especially from the man who had killed him.

"Not to you," the Dark Lord's mechanical voice could barely be heard over the rasps of his respirator.

The two men continued to stare at each other intensely. The droning sound of Vader's breathing interrupted by tentative beeps from the near forgotten astromech droid peppered the silence. Artoo appeared to quiver with dread and anticipation.

"Luke," Vader's mechanized baritone strained with mounting tension. "Your arrogance blinds you. You must accept my offer to complete your training. It is the only way."

Luke smiled disdainfully and shook his head. "I want no part of the Dark Side."

"If you only knew the power…"

"I don't care!" The young man cut him off.

"Join me and we could rule this Empire," Vader's voice continued to rise in volume as well as intensity.

"I don't want to rule people," the rebel loudly objected. "I want to help them."

"You would be helping them, Luke," Vader countered. "Together, we can end this destructive conflict. We will bring order to the galaxy."

"Like what you've been doing already?" The young man accused mockingly. "If you are so set on ruling the Empire," Luke snapped, "why don't you just overthrow the Emperor yourself?"

The Dark Lord dropped his gaze from the incensed young rebel. His overbearing presence seemed to deflate as he leaned heavily against the cold stone and turned his helmet away.

"I have tried," the Sith declared darkly, "and failed."

"Then why do you think I have a chance to succeed?" The rebel questioned, his jaw clenched tightly.

"Alone, you do not," Vader admitted quietly. "Only by working together, can we defeat him."

A wary trill of whistles emanated from the little astromech droid. Luke was growing frustrated with Artoo's constant interruptions. At the young man's withering glance, the little droid fell silent.

"It won't happen," Luke averred. "I'll never join you."

Luke got the feeling that if Vader's respirator had allowed it, the armored giant would have heaved a weary sigh. As it was, the young man thought the could hear the Sith's exasperation conveyed through his enunciator.

"You do not yet understand your place, boy," the Dark Lord's mechanical voice seemed drained. Luke wondered at the perception of such an atypical trait. "It is your destiny."

"You're wrong," Luke argued. "I would die before I turned to the Dark Side.

"You may not have that choice," Vader retorted.

"We always have a choice," the young man straightened himself righteously. "We just need to be prepared to live with the consequences."

The psychic tremor that reverberated through the cave caused Luke to look around in concern. He was puzzled as to where the strange sensation originated. That was, until he turned back to his ebony clad prisoner. He knew it was not possible, but it almost appeared as if the mask Vader wore had paled. Maybe, Luke reasoned, the shaken reaction had only registered on the face that was hidden beneath it.

"You sound like your mother, boy," Vader's enunciator cracked uncharacteristically.

"You knew her?" Luke gasped in alarm.

Artoo's seemingly frantic reaction caused the rebel's question to go unanswered. The little droid rolled forward to place his cylindrical body between the two men. He spouted a quivering dialog of beeps and whistles that seemed to only heighten the growing tension in the air.

Luke stood to regain his view of the Dark Lord ignoring the little droid's tirade. "What was she like?" The question escaped the young man's lips before he could think better of it.

Vader dropped his helmet to his chest. Luke wasn't sure if he was experiencing pain from his injuries or if the cause of his discomfort came from a different source. An invisible heaviness mounted so thickly that it seemed to electrify the air. The rebel knew he could push no further for a reply.

"She was very beautiful," the Dark Lord's hollow baritone finally broke the silence. "And very stubborn," he added.

The odd reaction that Vader was displaying made Luke uncomfortably suspicious. Ben had told him that the fallen Jedi had once been his pupil. The fact that the traitorous Sith would have known Luke's father was understandable. After all, Anakin Skywalker had been one of Ben's closest friends. But the revelation that this malevolent villain was also aware of Luke's mother was disturbed him down to his very core.

The near forgotten astromech droid twittered nervously. He rolled closer to the Dark Lord as his chromed top swiveling worriedly between the two agitated men.

"It sounds like you cared for her." A myriad of dark scenarios rushed into Luke's vivid imagination. None of them were pleasant. Despite trying to clear his unwanted thoughts, the images refused to fade.

Vader remained silent.

"Was she the reason why you killed my father?" Luke questioned darkly.

"What?!" The Sith's helmet snapped up with great intensity at Luke's accusation. The sharp movement appeared to cause him a volatile stab of pain. The hiss that replicated from the Dark Lord's enunciator seemed to only heighten his surging outrage. "Who told you that?" Vader spat.

"Ben," Luke offered defiantly. "He said that you betrayed and murdered my…"

"Obi Wan lied to you," Vader roared. "I did not _kill_ your father."

Luke began to feel the Sith's near palpable fury swirling around him. He hastily tried to tighten his defensive shields as he had clumsily done the prior night in anticipation of another mental attack. He unconsciously took a step away from the dangerous man.

R2D2's reaction was almost as immediate. He rolled himself back until he bumped protectively into his young master whistling frantically all the while.

The intensity of the moment continued unabated for what seemed an eternity, but in reality were mere minutes. The churning wave of dark emotion finally played out and dissipated as the atmosphere in the cave calmed.

Again, Luke felt that the little astromech had defused the confrontation. But instead of gratitude, his annoyance with the droid only increased. What could Artoo possibly be saying to the Sith that would consistently neutralize him like that? Luke silently vowed to start learning the droid's binary language as soon as he managed to get back to the Alliance.

The Dark Lord turned his mask away from the young man. He slowly dropped his head to his chest. "Your father lives," he uttered.

Artoo emitted a loud, mournfully long whistle. The rebel did not hear it. The shock of Vader's admission had totally dumbfounded him. He felt lightheaded and disoriented. Luke's vision blurred; a loud buzzing filled his ears. The young man began to stumble forward and placed a bracing hand on Artoo's domed head to stabilize him. It took him several minuets before he could find his voice.

"I don't believe you," Luke whispered hoarsely.

"It is the truth, S…child."

Despite Vader's vow, Luke's rational mind was screaming its absurdity. The Dark Lord had seemingly found a new way to torture the youth. Spewing more lies to weaken the young man's resistance and turn him to his bidding.

But Luke's heart told him different. It was more than just a son's fervent wish to believe the father he had never known still existed. The Sith's words were true. He knew it. An ethereal conformation radiated from the deepest part of his being. Luke sensed he should trust the feeling, but was oddly fearful to do so.

The rebel closed his eyes and desperately tried to swallow the lump of bile that had crept into his throat. He fought urgently for calm, yet began to tremble as he barely contained his spiraling emotions.

"If he was alive," Luke was hardly able to choke out the words. "Why has he never contacted me?"

The Dark Lord's even mechanical breathing was his only response.

"Where is he?" Luke's question echoed hauntingly off the stone walls.

Vader remained silent.

"Where is he?" Luke demanded again, his ice blue eyes shown like daggers in the firelight.

There was still no reply.

"WHERE IS HE?!" The distraught young man shouted with such intensity that even Artoo silently rolled away from him.

"The Emperor holds him," Vader's words came painfully slow.

"He's a prisoner?" Luke visibly paled.

The Dark Lord offered no elaboration.

"Where is he?" the young rebel was now pleading.

"He is beyond your reach him, boy."

"You're wrong," Luke shook his head defiantly. "If he is out there, I will find him."

"He resides in a place where you do not want to go." Again, the Dark Lord's words were sinister and vague.

Luke turned from the bound man in frustration. He took several juddering steps toward the fire. Dropping his blond head, the disconcerted young rebel and tightly closed his eyes. As he stood in the blackness of his own despair, a comforting sensation began to envelope him. It penetrated though him to soothe the depths of his soul. An inner potency that until now he had not been aware existed ignited and grew with intensity. With unquestionable clarity, he knew the Force was speaking to him. It compelled to do the unthinkable. It urged him on to ask the unspeakable. And he knew he could do no less than comply. With grim determination, he did.

"Then help me."

"What?!" Vader jerked away from the wall at the absurdity of Luke's words. The Dark Lord's actions caused him to groan loudly and fall back in pain. Luke turned back and responsively moved toward the Sith. A quick shake of the ebony helmet made him stop. Vader's pain was his own. He would neither share nor temper it with others. "You can not be serious, boy," he finally managed a strained reply.

"I am," Luke averred with steely resolve. "He's my father. I have to find him."

"Luke," the Dark Lord interjected. "You do not understand."

"No! You don't understand," the young rebel voice quivered with passion. "He's out there and he needs help." Luke took a deep shaky breath. "I have to save him."

The Dark Lord made no reply. He remained deathly still. The heavily tinted lenses of his fearsome mask fixed unwavering on the defiant young man standing before him. The rhythmic cycling of Vader's respirator was the only noise to permeate the intense standoff.

"You know where my father is," Luke broke the silence. "Please, help me save him," his voice strained taunt with emotion.

If the Dark Lord had any intention to reply, the response was disrupted when three fiery warning sensor lights began to flash ominously on Vader's chest plate accompanied by a high pitched alarm. Vader shuddered violently as he was seized by crushing waves of pain.

Without hesitation, Luke rushed forward and grabbed the Sith's biceps to help stabilize him. Luke watched numbly as Vader reached up with his bound hands and clumsily managed to flip several switches on his suit to new positions. The warning tone ended abruptly and the display lights dimmed and went back to their regular blinking pattern of green. Luke kept a supportive grip on the heavily padded leather suit; he barely noticed that the little astromech droid had rolled up beside them and was whistling nervously. Finally, the young man could feel the Dark Lord begin to relax as he slowly recovered from his agony.

"What happened?" Luke asked tentatively.

"It is none of your concern, young one." The Sith answered with great effort.

"You need help." Luke insisted.

"Leave me," Vader rebuked fiercely. "This will pass."

Luke wanted to insist that Vader allow him to help ease his suffering, but he knew the effort would be futile. He was sure that any continued attempt would be met by an impenetrable wall of resistance as solid as the Sith's encasing armor. Luke stared intently into the opaque lenses of the grotesque mask trying to see the man beneath. But both the reflective eyepieces as well as the tightly shielded mind within made it impossible.

"You haven't answered me yet," the young rebel held his steady gaze on the Dark Lord.

"Your tenacity is impressive, young one," Vader nodded slightly in deference. "I require rest."

Luke grinned optimistically as he released his hold on the man as he stepped back. At least Vader had not blatantly refused him. The young man turned and moved away from his bound prisoner placing a comforting hand on the top of the little astromech droid as he passed. Luke grabbed a few logs from the replenished stash of firewood and placed them on the fire. It would be enough fuel to keep the cave comfortably warm through the rest of the night.

Overpowering waves of exhaustion, both emotional and physical began to nag at the youth's body. Knowing he could not resist, Luke unfolded his bedroll and prepared himself for sleep. Settling down, he propped himself up on one elbow, and rested his head on his upraised hand. He stared mesmerized at the ravenous flames. The erratic emotions that had assaulted him earlier had extinguished; replaced by a calming sensation that Luke assumed was caused by the Force. It mended his ragged soul and filled him with feeling of warm inner peace.

Artoo silently rolled up next to him and hovered protectively by the young man's head. Luke could never stay upset at Artoo for very long. He smiled warmly as he glanced up at the droid that he considered a friend.

The young rebel looked back once more at his prisoner. Entrapped in his own private misery, the Sith remained motionless; his helmet bent heavily forward. Luke realized he was both terrified and elated by the Dark Lord's unexpected revelation. It made Luke wonder who exactly the mysterious man behind the mask truly was. Although he still wasn't sure he really wanted to know, something within him whispered that he would be finding out. Maybe Vader himself would tell him more when they got back to the base. _'When bantha's fly,'_ he wryly thought.

Not able to think clearly any longer, Luke rolled over finally ready to surrender himself to sleep. Long familiar images of a tall imposing man with wavy blond hair and intense blue eyes began to fill his numbing mind as conciseness slowly ebbed away.

As flames burned to embers, the little astromech droid kept a diligent watch on both his headstrong wards. He silently swiveled his domed head between his two companions. They both appeared to have finally powered down and were now regenerating. It gave him the opportunity to quietly process the day's data input. He would have much to relay to his friend C3PO when they returned to base. Of course, he was sure that the golden protocol droid would simply rebuff him and accuse him of exaggerating again.

He idly theorized why it seemed that humans were both determined and adept at making their existence so complicated. Skywalkers were by far the most proficient at that annoying ability. This little adventure had proven that undeniable fact entirely. Keeping their first encounter peaceful had been enough to fry his components. He had stopped hypothesizing future scenarios over an hour ago; as he was sure his processors were close to short circuiting.

The little droid slowly backed away from his sleeping young master. Confirming that he had not disturbed him, the astromech engaged his third leg and rolled quietly around to the fearsome Sith Lord. He still had more to say, and Artoo had determined that now would be the appropriate time to do so.

Arriving at the armored man's side he beeped softly to make his presence known. Receiving no answer, the little droid backed up several centimeters, and then drove forward into the man's thigh with force.

Darth Vader groaned in pain and uttered a choice selection of Huttese curses as he reacted to the abrupt interruption. He raised his helmet and turned his head to address the blue and white droid.

"What?" he growled.

The little droid trilled urgently.

"Yes, Artoo," Vader vocalized his scowl as he looked away. "You were right."

The astromech issued a rant of beeps.

The Sith turned to again face the droid and address him. "It is unbecoming for you to gloat."

The little droid did not relent with his electronic tirade.

"No," Vader acknowledged as he leaned his helmet back onto the cold stone wall. "He is not ready."

R2D2 whistled triumphantly in response.

"Yes, Artoo," disgust was present in the Dark Lord's mechanical voice. "But it is a lesson learned far too late."

Artoo whistled warily.

"I do not know," Vader paused momentarily. "But you have my word; I will do what I can."

The little astromech droid seemed bolstered by the Dark Lord's vow. He set off in a new intense rant of beeps.

"You know, of course," Vader rumbled menacingly, "you will have your work cut out for you. I may not be there to cover for you the next time." Vader looked to the sleeping form of the young rebel. "You will need to keep him safe despite his recklessness."

The blatant splat of the little droid's response needed very little interpretation.

"True," amusement apparent in the Sith's mechanical voice. "If you survived one, how bad could another be?"

At that, they both fell quiet. Artoo slowly backed up to sit snuggly against the Dark Lord. The little droid uncannily understood that they would not share such a moment again. He was pleased to continue their contact for just a while longer.

"So, Artoo," Vader finally broke the silence. "Tell me again. How, exactly, did the boy end up in that detention level garbage masher?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Description:** When a mission goes wrong, Luke Skywalker crashes on an uninhabited planet. While waiting for rescue, he makes an unexpected discovery.

A/N #1: I do not own Star Wars, but I do so enjoy playing in the Galaxy.

A/N #2: Thank you so much to my beta reader. Her help is immeasurable.

A/N #3: I have had several reviewers ask me to divulge exactly what Artoo is saying. I know it is probably frustrating, but I must remain steadfast and cruel. I really feel that it is more fun to 'imagine' Artoo's comments just like we had to do in the movies. That is why I am purposefully remaining silent.

A/N #4: Well, this is it: The final chapter. Thanks to everyone for all the many reviews and bits of encouragement along the way. I am so thrilled that you enjoyed this story.

Chapter 6

It was a new day, and a glorious one at that. One would never imagine the dawn could be this beautiful after the prior days of turbulent storm. The morning sun streamed invitingly into the cave and seemed to beckon Luke to join the day. The young man could not repress his giddy smile.

R2D2 rolled forward chirping a merry greeting as the rebel untangled himself from his bedroll. Despite the late night and fitful sleep, Luke had awakened surprisingly refreshed. He could barely contain a growing excitement stirring deep within him. After being cooped up for far too long, the young man realized he would need to keep his body busy to burn off his excess energy.

Luke wouldn't have the same problem with his mind. Since waking, the rebel's thoughts had been occupied with bringing about his father's rescue. The dreams that followed Vader's revelation had made Luke feel more pressed then ever to rush into action. He still wasn't sure what he was going to do, but he was sure that he would come up with a plan eventually.

He quickly checked on his prisoner. Vader was unresponsive to the rebel's initial inquiry. The young man's concern was growing regarding the Sith, especially after the prior night's episode. The Dark Lord's condition was worsening. Luke could sense his malevolent presence weakening. Unable to do more, and feeling an enticing urge to explore their surroundings, Luke left his captive securely under Artoo's watchful care and ventured out of the cave.

Sunlight danced through a lacy canopy of green leaves sending warming rays to chase away the remaining dew. The verdant forest was engulfed with birdsong, each species seemingly intent to outdo the others in volume as well as complexity of melody. Luke could feel life pulsating around him like never before; the trees surrounding him as well as the creatures that dwelled within their camouflaged depths seemed so much more in focus then they had when he first made his way here two days ago. He pondered the reason for the upsurge of intensity, and realized that the environment had probably not really changed; he was simply more in tune with the vibrations of the Force to notice it.

Luke was sure that the increase in his perceptions was due to his lesson yesterday. It seemed to have opened a door in his mind that he had not known existed. He also realized that it probably would never fully close again. He was grateful for that, although he wasn't ready to thank Darth Vader for the experience. There was too much baggage that accompanied the session for that, but this was a beneficial change.

His mini excursion proved to be a very successful endeavor. It didn't take Luke long to find the focus of his trek. A swift moving stream lay before him. It was just where he somehow knew it would be. While filling his canteens he spotted several fish skittering around him in the shallows.

Grabbing a rather straight branch from the ground, he smartly whittled one end into a spear point with the utility knife that he kept stowed on his belt. Using his quick reflexes, he deftly speared two rather plump fish from the water. He couldn't help but grin at the success of his efforts.

Fish did not exist on Tatooine. Luke remembered the first time he had ever seen such a creature was when he and Han had been stranded on another wild planet; that time due to mechanical problems with the Millennium Falcon. Han had shown him how to both catch and clean them. It was pretty slimy, disgusting work, but no worse than preparing some of the desert creatures he had hunted back home. He washed and filleted them as best he could and re-skewered them securely onto his spear. He then made his way quickly back to the cave. His mouth was already watering in anticipation of a decent meal.

Okay, so Luke was not the best chief in the galaxy, he would freely admit that. Cooking was made especially difficult when dealing with exotic fare. Of course, it wasn't entirely his fault. Han's dubious warnings about the dangers of eating undercooked fish continued to meander though is mind. He wasn't willing to take any chances.

Luke pulled out the speared fish from the campfire flames and frowned. They didn't look quite as enticing as they once had. Maybe it was the fact that they were about a third of their original size. Or, more likely, it may have been their crusty black appearance.

Movement in the back of the cave caught the rebel's eye. He looked over to see Vader shifting slightly as he pulled his head up to lean heavily on the stone wall behind him.

"How are you feeling?" Luke inquired.

"That is still none your concern, young one," the Dark Lord's enunciator clearly conveyed his annoyance.

"Good morning to you too," the rebel shook his head as a small smile escaped his lips. It probably was true that Luke was unable to help him, but to not even be allowed to try was frustrating. Not even Leia was this stubborn.

Vader's body seemed to tense slightly with the chided greeting, but he made no comment. The mechanical rasps of his measured breathing remained constant.

"You sure you don't want any fish?" Luke offered.

"Even if it were possible," Vader growled, "briquettes were never to my liking."

Ignoring the Sith's critique, Luke carefully peeled off a chunk of blackened fish with his fingers and dropped it into his mouth. It was pretty oily, tasted rather bland, and he had to be careful as the sampling was riddled with small bones; but overall, his foraged meal was still a vast improvement over what he had eaten the past few days.

"Well," Luke swallowed, "it still tastes better than those emergency rations."

"Of that I have no doubt," Vader rumbled. "I remember them well from the Clone Wars."

"They're probably some of the same supply," Luke retorted as he took another bite.

The young man made quick work of his breakfast. His hardy meal seemed to only invigorate him more. Feeling like he had too much energy to remain inside, the blond rebel again ventured out of the cave.

He climbed down to the clearing and unhooked his father's lightsaber from his belt. Luke closed his eyes and began going through the familiar series of fight movements and stances that had been taught to him by his Jedi mentor. He had only been shown the exercises once, and although he had tried to practice the movements daily, his schedule had not always allowed for it. He was no longer sure if he had all the positions quite right or not.

Luke figured Vader would know these exercises, but he wasn't about to ask. It would no doubt lead back into another confrontation about the Dark Side, and he wanted no part of it.

With thoughts of Vader, Luke's mind wandered back to their conversation from last night. His father was alive. It was still unbelievable, but deep down; Luke knew it to be true. The young man's inner feelings were also plagued with a growing sensation that he was missing something. Something important. He dismissed that nagging thought for now to concentrate on a plan to rescue his father from the Emperor. When they returned to the Alliance, Luke was determined to press the High Command for help. He was sure he could get Leia's aide in persuading them to his cause. His father was a Jedi Knight after all; it would be in everyone's best interest to liberate him.

Luke realized that his first step would be to acquire the location of where the Emperor had imprisoned his father. The young man knew exactly where look to for that information: Vader. The rebel was confident that Vader would tell him, eventually. After all the Sith hadn't turned him down last night, at least not totally.

He continued with his exercises.

"Drop your elbow, young man." A well-remembered voice carried by the crisp morning air danced lightly around the rebel. Luke wasn't sure if he had actually heard it, or had just imagined that he did. The guiding words had seemed to simply fill his awareness.

"What?" The word quietly escaped the confused blond haired youth's lips.

"Your stance leaves too great an opening for an opponent," the mysterious voice continued.

Luke recognized the owner of the voice, but that was impossible. It couldn't be him, could it? Yet it was so familiar. Luke closed his eyes and with a quick shake tried to clear his head. His mind was obviously playing a trick on him; he was under a lot of stress after all.

"Be mindful of you feet as well," the plaguing delusion continued. "You must equalize your weight between them if you are to keep your balance."

He couldn't ignore the anomalous voice any longer. "Ben?" The young man questioned. Luke slowly turned a full circle trying to locate the source of the mysterious words. He stopped suddenly as a blue mist began to solidify. It became recognizable as the form of his old mentor, Ben Kenobi. Although slightly transparent and shimmering in shades of blue, it was undeniably the old Jedi. The ghostly shape took a few steps to the side and then leaned back against one of the large boulders. Folding his arms across his chest, the old man smiled at the bewildered rebel.

Luke brought a hand up to rub over his sweaty face and clear away his hallucination. However, the cagey Jedi's image remained; it simply refused to fade. Luke stood motionless with his mouth agape.

"Hello, young Luke," the old man greeted.

"Ben!" Luke repeated with greater confidence as switched off his lightsaber. "Is that really you?" Overwhelmed with awe, the youth moved to take a step forward. Unfortunately, in his dazed state, he inadvertently tripped over an exposed root. The rebel ungracefully stumbled and flailed his arms wildly in an attempt to catch his balance.

"Easy, son," Ben appeared unruffled by his young student's very un-Jedi-like move. "You've had a busy few days," the old man turned his shimmering head and glanced to the cave opening above them. "You're fortunate that you're still in one piece." He muttered quietly as he turned back to face the young rebel.

"How can I be seeing you?" Luke questioned.

"Through the Force," the old Jedi answered.

"I've been hearing that answer a lot lately," Luke quipped.

The apparition nodded. His amused expression grew with the young man's acceptance of his specter.

"Why are you here?" the rebel asked stiffly. If Luke wasn't imagining all this, he wanted answers.

"I'm afraid the reckless zeal you displayed on your recent mission has caused some rather unexpected developments," Ben smiled at the young man.

"I don't understand."

"Your encounter with Darth Vader has come far earlier than had been foreseen," the old Jedi face took a more serious expression. "Consider my intervention an attempt at damage control."

"It's what Vader said, isn't it?" Luke warily inquired. "Because he told me about my father."

"Vader wants you for his own reasons, Luke," the old Jedi's voice was both hard and cold. "He will use every tactic available to him to achieve his goal."

"But I can feel the truth in his words," Luke stubbornly objected. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at the phantom. "My father is alive, isn't he?"

Ben frowned. "That depends on your point of view."

Frustration bloomed in the young man as he spun and took several steps away. He felt a sharp stab of betrayal from his old mentor. The young man gritted his teeth trying to regain control of his emotions. When he reached the edge of the clearing, he again turned back accusingly.

"You lied to me, Ben?" Luke's voice barely masked the exasperation he was trying to contain.

"I am sorry, Luke," the old Jedi dropped his head, no longer able to look the hurt young man in the eye. "I wanted to spare you the pain of this burden."

"By not telling me the truth?" Luke questioned.

"I wanted to protect you," the phantom raised his eyes to meet the indignant youth's glare. "When you were born, I was entrusted with your safely. It was imperative that I hid your existence from Vader and the Emperor."

"But what about my father?" Passion filled the young rebel's words. "Ben, he was your friend. You said you were like brothers. Didn't you ever think about what happened to him?"

The old man rubbed his forehead with his heavily wrinkled hand. "I have never stopped thinking about your father," he answered quietly as he let out a long measured breath. "Anakin's fate was of his own doing," Ben's voice was low and sad. "I do not believe he can ever be recovered. It is far too late."

"I can't accept that," Luke protested. "You told me yourself that no one can predict the future. The reason that you've given me for coming here is proof of that." The distraught young man began to pace around the clearing. "How can you be so sure that he is gone?"

"Luke," Ben tried to ease the boy's pain. "There is so much that you have yet to learn. Time is simply too precious to waste on lost causes. You must focus your mind on the here and now."

"I can't," Luke argued. "You've always told me that I'm supposed to listen to the Force. Well, right now it's telling me I can't just ignore the truth." Luke paused for a moment and raked his fingers through his disheveled hair as he tried to collect his thoughts. "I have to find him, Ben. I have to try to save him."

"That is exactly why you were told that your father had died," Ben looked sternly into the young man's eyes. "Luke, you are already a great asset to your friends in the Rebellion, but you have the potential to be so much more. You, my boy, are the last hope for the Jedi Order."

Luke stood stunned. He was taken aback by his old mentor's words. How could he possibly be all that important? He was a kid from Tatooine after all.

"A great destiny awaits you, Luke," Ben continued. "But you must have patience. The stakes are far too high to be compromised by rash actions. You will face many difficult trials along your path. You must be steadfast and devote yourself completely to your training so that you will be prepared to meet them."

"I don't understand," the young man bemoaned. "How can I devote myself to anything when I don't have anyone to teach me what I need to know? Well, no one who I'm willing to follow."

"That is where you're wrong, Luke," the old Jedi bolstered. "I have been with you since we left Tatooine, and I will continue to help you as I can. But there is no room for distraction or misstep. You must concentrate on strengthening your own skills before you can ever hope to use them to help others."

"Like my father," the young man acknowledged grudgingly. "How long will it take?"

"I don't know," Ben nodded his head and exhaled heavily. "Your father was nine when he came to the attention of the Jedi Order." Ben smiled sadly as he remembered. "Even though he was far older than the acceptable age to begin his training, an exception was made for him. It still took over ten years to complete his trials and become a Jedi Knight. You have gained awareness of the Force less than a year ago."

The young man's face dropped as he stepped forward indignantly. "But I can't wait that long," Luke argued. "My father needs me now. I don't have ten years to devote to training."

"Only a Jedi Knight secure in the Force will have the strength to face the Emperor. If you do not have patience and rush to meet him, you could very well meet your father's fate." The old Jedi moved away from the boulder to stand next to the boy. The ethereal form placed his hand on Luke's shoulder; the young man flinched slightly at the cool solid touch. "I do not believe it will take that long for you to gain such knowledge," Ben attempted to comfort, "but it will require time."

Luke dropped his head defeated. Ben was right. He could do more harm then good for the Alliance as well as his father if he simply followed his heart. He felt weak and fragile as he realized that he was currently ill equipped and unprepared.

"Vader said that the Emperor still doesn't know that I exist." Luke mumbled.

"For your sake, I hope that is true." The old man nodded. "You will need as much time as is possible."

"What must I do?" The young man raised his head to look at the serene face of his mentor.

"For now, work on improving you skills as you are doing," Ben instructed. "You have already come so very far over these past few months."

"But what's next?" Luke questioned impatiently.

"When you are ready," the old Jedi continued. "I will send you to a great Jedi Master. He will complete your training."

"Another Jedi?" The rebel's face lit up. "Who is he? Where can I find him?"

Ben raised his hands as he stepped back. "Patience, Luke," the blue image began to fade and the old man's voice grew faint. "It is not time yet. He will remain hidden until you are ready. When the moment is right, you will know."

After the mist dispersed, Luke stood alone in the clearing. He quietly contemplated the eerie discussion. He was not quite ready to believe that he had just been talking to a ghost, but he didn't know how else to explain it. He was also not sure he had gained much sage advice from the conversation, at least nothing that he was overly thrilled about following.

He didn't want to wait, nor be patient. He wanted to jump into action now, but if he failed he would cause more harm than good. With thoughts of his father, threatening tears of frustration began to form. Luke tightly closed his eyes and grimaced as he willed them away.

With sullen resignation, the young man acknowledged that old Ben was correct. It made sense. He wasn't ready; he didn't yet have the ability to save his father. But that did not mean that he never would. All it would take was time.

Someday, he would be ready. He would face the Emperor and fight for his father's freedom. He would win the battle. Of that, he had no doubt. It was what his heart told him.

The young man raked his fingers through his blond hair in consternation. Maybe everything that had happened these past few days was just a bad dream, maybe he was simply hallucinating and still sitting unconscious in the cockpit of his crashed fighter, or maybe he was just going crazy.

A captive Sith Lord tied up in the cave above him, an elusively hidden Jedi Master waiting to train him, an imprisoned father that he wasn't able to save, and a befuddling exchange with a dead man. Yeah, he was crazy.

With a heavy exhale, Luke turned and climbed back over the boulders to make his way to his temporary quarters. As he entered, he noticed that the little astromech droid was busily gathering his survival gear and placing the items next to the empty backpack that lay near the cooling ashes of the campfire.

"Artoo," Luke questioned suspiciously, "What are you doing?"

The blue and white astromech sputtered a blast of shrill whistles as he continued unabated with his chore.

"He is packing your supplies," Vader mechanical voice echoed against the cold stone walls. "It should be obvious, even to you, young one."

Luke stared warily at the Dark Lord sitting against the back wall of the cave. The rebel figured the Sith must be feeling somewhat better as his mood had certainly darkened once again.

"Okay," Luke's curiosity could not let the droid's actions go unchallenged. "I see what he's doing, but I still don't know why?"

"Your friends have entered the system," Vader answered coolly. "They will be arriving shortly."

Artoo whistled excitedly as if in conformation. He added a few hooting beeps for good measure.

"Really?" Luke bent down on his knees to help the little droid with his task. "When will they get here?" The young rebel eagerly began shoving the gathered items into the pack.

"Soon," the Sith answered. Vader pulled his head away from the wall and observed the boy enthusiastically fill his pack. After a few minutes of silence, Vader turned his focus to the droid. "Artoo," he rumbled. "Go back to your ship. Luke's friend will start their search from there."

The little droid whistled his affirmation sharply. The blond haired rebel watches as Artoo rolled out to the mouth of the cave leaving his bewildered young master kneeling on the ground.

"Wait," Luke called after the droid. The blond haired man hesitated speechlessly as he watched compartments open on each side of the droid's mechanical legs deploying small booster rockets. With an excited whistle, stout blue flame flared from the bottom of the rockets and the little droid gently lifted off the cave floor. Luke rose and followed the droid's previous path to the entrance. He continued to observe the astromech gracefully float over the boulders and land softly onto the mossy ground at the forest edge. Artoo turned his domed head toward the dazed young man's and hooted ecstatically.

Luke turned surprised blue eyes back to face the Sith. "You fixed him?"

"It was an easy repair," Vader offhandedly replied. "If you knew where to look."

Artoo's anxious span of beeps and twitters reminded Luke that the droid was becoming inpatient. He turned back to address the little friend. "Go ahead Artoo, I'll catch up."

Luke returned to finish his task of stuffing the supplies into the pack. There would be no need to take the now disintegrated power generator. Due to that, there was a lot more room to work with. Luke also made the decision to leave the container of emergency rations behind. No sense giving the Alliance the opportunity to stash the ghastly supply into his next fighter. Not that he planned to go missing again any time soon.

"Luke," Vader's deep baritone broke the young man's reverie. "You must be prepared for what is to come."

The rebel stiffened at the foreboding implication of Vader's warning. "You need medical attention," Luke stated as a mater of fact. "I will see that you get it."

"Medical aide will not come from your Alliance, young one." The Dark Lord's mechanical voice grew ominous.

The rebel brushed off the accusation. "You're wrong, they won't…"

"I am your rebellion's greatest enemy," Vader interrupted. "If I am not executed immediately, it will be soon to happen. There will be no point in providing me treatment."

"You don't know that…"

"Search your feelings, Luke," the Sith's words echoed haughtily through the cave. "You know what I say is true."

Luke couldn't deny it. Whether they went through the formalities of putting him on trial for war crimes or not, it was common knowledge that the Alliance wanted Darth Vader dead. They had even offered a bounty on the Dark Lord, though no hunter had been fool enough to pursue it, or at least none had survived to collect.

Even worse, the rebel was sensing something much darker, as well as more pressing. "You're planning to resist aren't you?" The young man realized.

"I will do what I must," Vader threatened.

"You promised that you wouldn't try to escape," Luke contended.

"That vow was made only to you, young one." Vader's words were even, but no less dark.

Images of the snapping log flashed in the rebels mind as he glanced over at the broken pieces of the power generator. "I won't let you hurt my friends," Luke averred.

"That is your decision to make."

"I can't just leave you here," the rebel began stubbornly. "You'll die."

"No, child," Vader answered patiently. "That will not happen. I am too valuable an asset for my Master to lose. The Empire will soon find me."

Luke looked away. He brought his hands up and scrubbed his face. There was so much to consider.

"Be mindful, Luke," Vader warned menacingly. "If you choose to leave me, we become enemies once more."

Luke dropped his hands and snorted. "Did we ever stop?"

"There is more for you to consider, young one," the Sith continued unrelentingly. "The Emperor will not remain unaware much longer. When he discovers you, he will order me to bring you before him."

Luke looked back at the Sith. "You'd have to catch me first," there was a defiant glint in the young rebel's eyes.

Vader shifted. "Will that be difficult?"

"I think you'll find I'm full of surprises," Luke slowly stood up and smiled wryly.

Vader nodded acceptance at the young man's feigned challenge.

Luke turned his back to his prisoner. He clamped his arms tightly across his chest and began to pace around the front of the cave. His head was starting to throb from the pressure of his impending decision.

"You must make your choice, Luke," Vader's mechanical voice once again broke the boy's thoughts. "Your friends are waiting."

Luke winced and raked his fingers through his blond hair. Although Vader was insisting that he had a choice, Luke knew he really only had one option.

For some strange reason, the current situation reminded him of when Han had first taught him to play Sabacc. He had been pretty easy picking back then. It had cost the young man more that a few months wages before he figured out a better strategy. Thanks to Han, if he had learned nothing else, he knew enough to never fold without at least one bluff.

The young man suddenly stopped his pacing as a familiar tingling skittered down his spine. He looked over at Vader. A devious grin began to form on his lips as a plan began to develop in his mind. Maybe he could gain an advantage out of this situation after all.

Luke squared his shoulders and jutted his chin forward. "You must know," he started with more confidence then he felt, "it is my duty to bring you back to the Alliance. When I get to the Falcon, I could just call for reinforcements," the rebel began pacing again. "In your condition, I don't think you could get far from this cave before they would arrive." Luke turned his penetrating blue eyes back to the Dark Lord. "You may be able to resist my friends, but I doubt you could defy an entire squadron."

Vader nodded his helmet but said nothing.

It wasn't much of a bluff, but it would have to do. Luke hesitated for a moment longer as he mentally prepared to lay down his hand. If he had ever needed a touch of that famed Corellian luck, this would be the time for it to shine. He stood ramrod straight in front of his adversary and narrowed his eyes as he addressed the Sith. "Do you ever see my father?"

"Luke," Vader stiffened. "You must forget about what I told you."

"I can't," the rebel shook his head stubbornly. Luke began to pace again as he thought of how best to voice his offer. "I will leave you here, but you must promise me something."

The Sith's helmet tracked the young man as he traversed across the cave. Several measured breaths rasped through his respirator before he broke his silence. "What is that, young one?"

"I want you to promise me that you will give my father a message," Luke stopped directly in front of Vader. He looked down squarely into the opaque eyepieces of the Sith's hideous mask.

Vader sat unmoving under the young man's intense glare.

"Tell him," Luke's voice caught with emotion. "Tell him that I know he's out there, and that I will find him someday," he cleared his throat and continued. "Tell him that I will save him."

There was a lengthy pause. Luke was slowly beginning to think that Vader was going to rebuke his offer. The young man outwardly held his ground but his inner resolve was starting to waiver.

"He will hear your message, young one," Vader slowly answered.

'_Sabacc!'_ Luke thought triumphantly as a smile widened across his lips. He silently watched as Vader turned his helmet away. It may have appeared to only be a small victory, but it was an important one. Luke was confident that the Sith would keep his word.

"I better get going," the young rebel stated as turned and walked toward the front of the cave. He grabbed his pack as he passed by the remnants of the campfire. Luke paused at the entrance and turned back hesitantly.

After a few moments, he dropped the bag to the ground and leaned down to riffle through it. The rebel reached deep into one of the side compartments and pulled out the Dark Lord's lightsaber. He held it up considering whether he really wanted to return such a dangerous weapon to his enemy. Luke glanced once more at the metal shaft and frowned as he examined it. He hadn't paid close attention before, but now he noticed something familiar about the design. He felt that same vague nagging sense of missing something hovering just at the edge of his consciousness.

Luke shook himself out of his musings. His friends had arrived, and he needed to concentrate on his rescue for now. He would have time later to decipher this peculiar feeling. He glanced over at the Dark Lord as he placed the lightsaber against the cave wall. He noticed that Vader's mask was again locked onto his movements. Luke stood back up and swung the pack over his shoulder. He was about to take a step out the entrance when he paused once again. The young rebel turned back one last time to glance at Vader.

"May the Force be with you," Luke asserted. He did not wait for a reply. The young rebel quickly turned and left the cave. He had been stuck on this planet for nearly three days. That had been long enough. His friends were here, and it was now time to leave. Luke didn't want to delay any more than necessary.

Darth Vader watched silently as Luke hurriedly picked his way down the boulders to the forest floor and disappeared into the trees. After several long moments, the Sith slowly shook his helmet and pulled himself out of his reverie.

"Foolish boy," Vader rumbled. "Save his father…._Indeed!_"

The Dark Lord glanced down at his bound his wrists and watched impassively as the intertwined bindings instantly snapped and fell away. Lifting a prosthetic arm, his lightsaber flew across the cave and snapped sharply into the leather glove of his outstretched hand. With a grimace of pain he quickly reattached the hilt to its well worn clip, and then reached to his other side to retrieve his comlink from the hidden compartment on his utility belt. He held the small device in his massive mechanical hand, but did not activate it.

Vader knew with certainty that his orders to wait for his signal would be followed without question. The lives of his officers depended on it. His rescue was imminent, but not quite urgent. Not yet. He would give the rebels the time they would need to escape orbit before his Star Destroyer returned. This time.

The Sith was used to physical pain, though he had not tolerated the extreme level his injuries now inflicted for quite some time. Still, it commanded little of his attention. What disturbed the armored man more was the unexpected assault of chaotic emotions that unrelentingly churned within him. Long dormant feelings that he could no longer name, nor believed were possible for him to produce, gnawed away at the scarred tattered remains of his heart. Vader purposefully pushed aside these odd sensations. He would examine them further in the solitude of his meditation chamber. There would be time to do so; he would make sure of it.

Vader closed his eyes and stretched out with his mind to once more to touch Luke's distinctive Force presence. The boy was unaware that they now shared such a strong mental bond between them. The link would remain open and unguarded until Luke discovered its existence. He would deal with the young man's ire later. For now, it was enough to just feel the boy's bright essence swirling within him.

Vader leaned his helmet back once more against the back wall. A smile stretched tightly over the Dark Lord's scarred lips.

"May the Force be with you," Vader's mechanical baritone echoed against the cold stone of the empty cave. "My son."


End file.
